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This week, I'm taking some time off to visit with family and friends and just get away from work for awhile. I will be working Mon-Wed and then I will be on vacation until December 7th.

It's that time of year when most people stop to reflect on what they are thankful for in their life. Personally, I know I have a lot of things to be thankful for. I have great friends, a loving and supporting family, a stable, well paying job with benefits. The bills are paid and I don't have bill collectors hounding me every minute. I have money in the bank to cover "almost any" unexpected emergencies that may creep up.

I won't posting on the blog this week so here are a few recent articles you may not have seen:

• Free $50 Bonus and a Rewards Debit Card That Earns Rewards
•  How Long Will It Take You To Payoff That Debt?
• 10 Tips For Controlling Your Credit Card Debt  
• RIP Grandpa - Thanks For Teaching Me About Life and Money 
• Save Money on Your Auto Insurance
• The $50,000 Savings Challenge
  

I will be back with a new post next week - Monday November 30th. I hope all of you have an healthy, happy and safe Thanksgiving! Have fun and enjoy the time that you have with your family.

What are you thankful for?

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Have you started saving for Christmas yet? If not, you may want to start today.

Yes, I know it is the beginning of August and you probably haven't even thought about Christmas gifts. If you do a little planning now, you could possibly avoid accumulating debt when the holiday shopping season comes around.

It's best to start saving in January. This way, you have 11 months to save up the amount you want to spend on gifts for family and friends. If you haven't started a Christmas or Holiday Fund, it's not too late. You'll just need to save a larger amount or plan to spend a smaller amount.

How much will you need to save each month?
The chart below shows the difference in what you'll need to save each month in order to reach $1000. As shown above, if you started saving in August, you would need to put away $250 a month. If you'd started saving in January, you would only need to put away less than $91 a month.

If you failed to save money for your holiday shopping, come December, you would need to either take $1000 out of your December budget, raid your Emergency Fund (you do have one, right?) or as a last resort, pull out the plastic.

Have you started saving for Christmas?




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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. Thanks so much for reading SingleGuyMoney and I hope you get all you want for Christmas.

I hope your holiday is filled with fun and laughter. I wish I could give you all the gift of financial freedom!




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Image courtesy of S Baker

We had our company holiday party last night and I must say it was a lot of fun. It was nice to get together and see people from other offices in other areas of the state. I'm pretty happy that our company is still financially sound and still held our annual holiday party. Given the current state of the economy, most companies have had to cut back or cancel their holiday parties all together. While we were still lucky enough to have a holiday party, they did cut out some of the perks.

• Instead of an open bar, we were given drink tickets. Each person was given 2 drink tickets while equalled 2 free drinks. You could drink more but you had to pay full price after your 2 free drinks. Luckily, I am pretty good friends with the ticket holder so I was able to score a few extra tickets.
  
• Our party was held in a large hotel in downtown Atlanta. In past years, the company would pay for rooms for employees that live more than 50 miles from the hotel. For those who lived closer but were not able to drive, you could get a reduced price room. This year, everyone had to pay for their own room (full price).
• Instead of a buffet style dinner, the food was mostly appetizers. In years past, they usually went all out with the food selection.
  

Did your company have a holiday party this year? Was it a limited budget version?

Image courtesy of myeralan

If you are one of those folks who wait until the last minute to do your holiday shopping or just need to pickup a few more items, be sure to be safe this holiday season. In this economy, there are a lot of people out there who would rather get gifts at a substantial discount by taking them from you (after you've paid for them).

If you will be out shopping in the next few weeks (or anytime for that matter), remember these basic tips:

Shop during the day, if possible. Crime can happen at anytime but it is easier to do at night when there is a limited amount of light making it easy to hide.

Shop with a friend or family member. Especially if you shop at night. Not only will this help to keep you safe, it may also keep you from overspending!!

Don't carry large amounts of cash. Once your cash has been stolen, there is a good chance you won't get it back.

Use a credit card (if you plan to payoff the purchase in full). If thieves steal your credit card, as long as you report it asap, you will not be responsible for the unauthorized charges. Try to limit the number of credit cards you carry in your wallet or purse in case your wallet is lost or stolen. This will save you a lot of time by not having to call the bank of all the cards in your wallet. My favorite card is the Discover Card. Top notch customer service and easy to use online interface.

Better yet, don't carry a purse or wallet. It's best to carry only your ID and a credit/debit card in a safe.

Be aware of your surroundings. Know where you are and who is near you at all times.Try to stay off your cell phone until you are in a safe location. Keep it handy though in case you need to call the police.

Keep your packages out of sight. Place packages in the trunk where they are not visible from the outside. If you have an SUV, be sure to make sure your items are not easily visible by someone walking by your vehicle.

The easiest way to stay safe and avoid the crowds is to shop online. I plan to do 99% of my shopping online because it is easier to comparison shop and find a good deal. I am also able to avoid the crowds and rude people.

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It's that time of year where mostly everyone is in full blown shopping mode. Most people are focusing on finding the perfect gift for their loved ones and trying to get the best deal while doing it.

If you follow any personal finance blogs, you know that it is best to save money throughout the year so while you are buying those holiday gifts, you aren't wrecking your budget or your overall financial health.

Even though you've may have saved money to cover the costs of your holiday shopping, there are some other costs that you may not have thought to include in your budget.

Have you remembered to budget for:

Holiday Meals. If you plan on having family and friends over for dinner, your food costs will likely increase during the holidays. Unless you are hosting a potluck style meal, you will probably be footing the bill for the food.

Utilities. Your electricity bill will likely increase due to extra energy use from holiday lights or if you have guests staying over. Your gas and water bills will probably be higher than normal also.

Charity. I try to give throughout the year to various charities but most of my charitable giving is done in November and December. If you also do most of your charititable donations during this time of year, make sure you adjust your budget to account for the extra expense. For 2009, consider adding up the amount you plan to donate and then divide that amount by 12. Set aside the extra amount in a ING Orange savings account (or any savings account for your choice).

Holiday Travel. This is another item that can destroy your well planned budget. For 2009, you may want to estimate how much you think your holiday travel will cost and divide by 12. Set aside the extra amount throughout the year. If you plan to travel by automobile this holiday season, thankfully, gas prices have fallen from the $3.50-$4 a gallon we were paying this summer.

Postage. If you are shipping gifts or mailing Christmas cards, be sure to account for the extra money you will be spending on postage. Don't wait until the last minute because the faster a package needs to get to its destination, the more it will cost.

What other hidden holiday costs can you think of? Any tips you would like to add?
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If you enjoy your freedom, thank a Veteran. According to Wikipedia, Veterans Day was originally known as "a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to thereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day'."

Al King, a store owner from Kansas involved with the American War Dads during WWII, had the idea to celebrate all veterans and not just those who served in World War I. With the help of a United States Representative - Ed Rees - a bill for the holiday was pushed through Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law on May 26, 1954.

Congress amended the act on November 8, 1954 by replacing "Armistice" with Veterans and it has been known as Veterans Day since then.

Thanks to all of the Veterans from SingleGuyMoney!

Happy 4th of July Everyone! Everyone have a safe and fun-filled holiday. I'm headed to the lake for the weekend. While I'm gone, be sure to check out some of the past posts here at SingleGuyMoney. Regular posting will resume on Monday and make sure you are subscribed to be notified of the latest posts.

Carnivals:
I participated in two personal finance carnivals this week:
My Good Cents hosted the Carnival of Money Stories Edition #66 and included my post, "My Employer is Responding to High Gas Prices".

Greener Pastures: Personal Finance hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance #159: The First Zero-Emissions City and included my post, "Paid Off Debt and Credit Score Decreased".

From the Archives:

• 2008 Financial Goals - The Complete List
• The Breakup
• Paying Off Debt Makes You Feel......
• I DID IT!!!!!
• Save Money on Auto Insurance
• I Just Can't Look Anymore