Tuesday Tips: Say no to frivolous Christmas Spending

It's Christmas time again. The holiday season is filled with a lot of excitement. There are holiday parties, vacations, gifts, family, friends and a whole more that makes us want to jump for joy. With a season like this, there is a high possibility that we will overspend and wake up the next year dreading our empty pockets and wondering where has all the money gone.

Let's face it, we don't have money like we used and with the recession continuing undeterred, our financial climate has taken a negative downturn. It's hard. We don't want to disappoint our loved ones nor do we want to become house mice but we are truly strapped. So what do we do?

Here are some simple ideas to help you save more and still have a great holiday.

1. Make a list and check it twice

We all have heard about Santa's infamous naughty or nice list, but do you have a list of your own? Make a list of who you will be buying gifts for this year and write down an idea of what you intend to purchase for each person. Think about the right things that won't break the bank too much but will definitely make your recipient very happy.

2. Jingle all the way

Nope not referring to the bells but to your money. Have you worked out your holiday budget? It's normally advised to have a fixed amount saved up for the holiday season and to stick to that amount rather than overspending during the festive season. Unfortunately, many of us still fail to do that and end up broke into the New Year. So if you haven't worked out the logistics of your budget yet, get it done a.s.a.p. It's simple, just write down a raw figure of what you currently have and what you expect to receive soon if you’re expecting any additional money and from that deduct presumed expenses such as gifts, outings with friends and anything else you may need to spend money on.

Warning: It's not always about the cost of a gift but rather the durability, estimated use and the long-lasting benefits. If you buy it today and it's destroyed tomorrow then it's essentially a waste of money. Therefore consider carefully when you are buying gifts. Cheap isn't always better.

3. All I want for Christmas is........

If you truly don't have the money to spend on gifts, then consider alternative gifts. How about you make your gift instead? No not the cards that we all made for our parents as children (though if you are very artistic this may work for you), but let's think outside the box here. Make a gift certificate for a nice at home spa that you set up and operate, cook dinner and give the usual person a day off or set up a picnic in the park. If you are artistic then do a picture, sculpture, poem, painting or whatever your craft, make jewelry, write and perform a song, bake a cake or muffins or brownies, and even make your own gift basket. There are so many ways to give for less; you just have to get a little creative. Think about it. It's not about the size of the gift but rather the size of the heart that gives it.

4. Jesus, born on this day

It's not all about the parties and frivolous outings, but Christmas is a season of appreciation and giving. Remember the true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus who came to die for our sins. Go to church and praise his holy name. Forget the commercial aspect and do something charitable this year. There are probably things that you have that you no longer use and are in fairly good condition, how about you donate it to charity or better yet donate your time and make a difference in someone's life. 

5. Have a holly jolly Christmas

Seek out adventure in the little things. You don’t always have to go to extravagant events to enjoy yourself, a simple movie Christmas dinner with your family, a movie night with friends, finding new inexpensive or free events to attend or even plan an exciting day trip. The most important thing is to enjoy time with those who matter most to you and enjoy their company into the new year.

All in all, the best advice is to focus on the best ways you can give without hurting your financial future. 

Nuff Love,

Nella

Lonely Heart Confessions- I'm afraid

Whew!!! It's been a long time since I made a post like this on this blog. Well this is a new feature that I'm planning to introduce and it's called Lonely Heart Confessions. The plan is that every Sunday by 9pm I will post a confession. It may be about my personal experiences, my inner thoughts, relationship stories, rants or anything else I feel to share with the world. So without further ado let's get to today's post. (P.S. I know it's almost 10)  The theme is: FEAR.

They say our fear is our guide. It guides us on our paths and away from things that may stand in the way of our destiny. But what about when it cripples? When does fear stop being a guide and start being more of quick sand, slowly but surely dragging us deeper and stagnant rather than helping us to move forward? This is the kind of fear I feel sometimes. 

My first confession tonight is that I'm afraid. I really am. I've always known it but after my last relationship which ended June of this year I was reminded of how much. I'm afraid to let people in. I'm afraid to let people know me completely and wholly. In relationships, I'm always prepared for the worst and have one foot out the door or the term I often said to myself in my last relationship was 'waiting for the other shoe to drop'. I'm afraid to let people in because in the end I always expect people to leave. It's why I've built up this wall of defense. I've even gotten so good at it that I can give the illusion of letting people in without doing so. Letting them know limited parts of me and passing it off as a whole. Never having to fear anyone getting to the root. Never having to fear the disappointment. 

Yes I admit it. I am very afraid. I'm afraid to fall in love and lose myself or aspects of myself. I'm afraid to lose my identity and when the person is gone I'm left crippled and without a sense of direction. I'm afraid to truly love another person and let them love me. I'm afraid to let them know me because once they know the real me they'll figure out how messed I am and disappear. That's what I'm afraid of. So I remain guarded and always prepared for everyone to leave my life whether by choice or not. And it certainly doesn't help that the one person I chose to let in did exactly as I feared and disappointed me gravely. Therefore, though I'm a bit more open than I used to be, I'm still as closed off as ever. A contradiction that makes sense once you think about it. 

Now I've entered a new relationship and I'm choosing to fight back. I don't want to be stifled by my own afflictions anymore. How will I ever truly find that which I so desperately desire? A unique kind of adventure that involves not just the lone wolf but a wholesome pack. The pack of family, friends, and other loved ones. Can I fight it? Stop being the lone ranger and become more? We'll see.

Now that I've identified my fear. What will I do to overcome it? Well you'll just have to wait and see as I bring you more confessions. Just think along the lines of fear cripples, risk heals. Keep reading.

Nuff Love, 

Nella

Sale Sale Sale

Everyone loves a good sale, especially a Holiday sale woot! I love discounts, sales and anything thrifty really. It's a great way to find little gems that may have broken the bank without the token discounts. And if you're like me then you should check out Trinkets & Chest and experience huge savings of 20% OFF ALL STOCK until December 15, 2012 in their Pre-Christmas Sale. 

Yes folks you heard it here 20% OFF ALL STOCK until December 15th and it isn't even Christmas yet. 

Come on Check it out loves and see what you can find. Enjoy!!!! :)

Much Love,

Nella 

Natural Hair Mask

Hello hello,

So as you all know, I am DEFINITELY all about the effective care of you. Care of your hair, nails, skin and body, and I especially like it when you can use natural ingredients to do it.  I absolutely believe that finding all natural ways to keep your body nurtured is one of the most effective, not to mention cost efficient ways of living.

That being said, I asked a friend of mine by the name of Keyva to write a little blog post about how she keeps her hair looking as amazing as she does. And she DID NOT disappoint. So here goes:

Over the years, I have gotten numerous complaints from women about their hair. It's either it won't grow or it breaks easily or isn't strong enough (I think I fall into the latter category). So I have done some research to solve these problems and created a mask for your hair! I have used it several times and obtained healthier, stronger hair that grows. And the best part? Most of the ingredients can be found at home. So here is the recipe and I wish you happy hair days!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of avocado
1 to 2 eggs
African Pride Grow oil
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of honey

Method: 

Crush avocado in a separate bowl. In another bowl, mix the eggs and oil and honey. Add to bowl with avocado. Add mayonnaise and mix well until it is a liquid paste. Add to hair evenly and leave for up to two hours.

Keep doing this every week or every two weeks for three months and you should have healthier, longer and shinier hair. 

I added a few pictures to show you just how amazing and healthy her hair looks. Thanks for reading. (P.S. I took these pictures :))

Much Love,

Nella

December Goals

Hey dolls and dudes, 

December has just begun and I've made a few goals to accomplish for the remainder of the year and preparing for next year. Right now school is alright. The stress level is minor and I'm actually quite relaxed. It's good because studying around Christmas time is actually quite hard for me and I've been forced to do so since I entered university. Anyways, let's move on to the goals. I hope you've made a few too. I would love to hear them :D

Personal Goals:

1. Increase overall productivity and reduce procrastination. Sadly, I'm a huge time-waster. I will know I have something to do but I will do everything under God's sun before I accomplish my daily tasks. This December   I will hopefully make my list, check it twice and strike things off one goal at a time. *fingers crossed*

2. Read 'The four hour workweek'. I have been seriously putting off reading this book for a while. I've started it a few times and actually have read half of the book but I keep procrastinating the end. This month it  shall be completed. \o/

3. Declutter December. My room is an explosion of stuff that I don't use and need to get rid of. December seems like a perfect time to do so. Look out for my online garage sale as I try to sell some of these off. They are actually in fairly good condition, never or rarely used. Please purchase something. You get them for great prices and if you're in Kingston I can deliver!

4. Have some much needed and well-deserved fun time and R&R. It's a holiday season afterall and I've had a long school year. It's definitely time for me to have a break. Go to the beach (a choice thanks to Jamaica's yearlong sun :D), go to a restaurant, road trip woo woo, or any other fun social outing with my friends and family. Fun is definitely needed and the time shall be enjoyed. (side note: I'll miss PB and Keeves when they're gone for Christmas :( but they'll be back soon I know it woot!)

Academic Goal:

5. Keep pace with current courses and complete all group work. As mentioned before, I'm on a pretty stress-free rotation right now but there is still a lot of work to be done. Especially, group work. Yikes! No need to fall behind because exams come in the blink of an eye. Trust me!

Financial Goals:

6. Complete the 52 week challenge. Do you remember the challenge I started at the beginning of the year? Well guess what I'm still on it with only 4 weeks left to complete. Whee!!! I am quite proud of myself for that one and can't wait to accomplish my long-standing goal. Yay!

7. Read financial articles and become more finance savvy. One of my life goals is to be a Philanthropist  and to have exceptional money management skills. So I keep trying to nurture my financial education with personal finance blogs and online articles. So far, so good.

8. Find ways to generate supplementary income. If you have a job for me, link me. I really want to find ways to help support my lifestyle more. I'm quite ambitious and that is quite expensive. Lol! Either way I think it's important that I gain additional income. Any ideas? Jobs? Plans? Message me. Comment. It's truly appreciated.

Spiritual Goals:

9. Meditate for 5 minutes daily. A great way to clear your mind and nurture your spirit. Meditation calms and relaxes me. And it also is a good way to reset my mind and refocus my energies. Trust me it works wonders for you.

10. Write daily gratitude list. Research says the hallmark of happy people is that they are thankful. I want to be happy so I tried it. It really works for me. It's quite easy to forget how lucky we are in life so I've just tried to remind myself

Health and Fitness Goals:

11. Get hepatitis B shots. I just have to say that it's been 3 years since I should've gotten these shots and all now. It's time! See how my procrastination has taken over my life. It needs to be gone!

12. Practice healthy cooking. Well 'tis the season to be jolly but it doesn't mean I can't also be healthy. I really don't want tot overeat or wallow in unhealthy food and then making New Year's resolutions to lose weight. I find it counter-productive so I'll be trying to cook as healthy as possible and control my eating habits as best as I can. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst.


Well that's it folks. 12 Goals for December it seems quite fitting don't you think? What are your goals? Share them with me. I really would love to hear them. 

Much Love, 

Nella Bella

Put your best financial foot forward

 Are you looking for a way to get rich quick? Do you want a million dollar idea? Do you aspire to build a financial empire overnight? Are you yearning for the lifestyle of the rich and famous? Unfortunately, we don't have the magic answer to any of those questions.

 There are however ways that you can clean your financial house and improve your chances of accumulating wealth in due time. The best thing about it is, the younger you start, the more you can accumulate and the better your chances are.

1) What are your financial goals?

 To know where to start you need to know where you are heading. Identify what you want to achieve financially short-term (1year or less), medium-term (next 3-5 years) and long-term(5 years or more). It's not effective to just say "I want a house" or "I want a car". Attachment specific estimated values and a timeline to every goal you want to achieve. Make a sound plan and create a road map with smaller, definite steps for each goal. Make them measurable, achievable and specific to your dreams. This is the foundation of your financial success.

2) Prioritize

Another important step is to learn to separate wants from needs. Jamaicans tend to want to live the 'boasy' lifestyle. We tend to associate many wants into needs and neglect many needs transforming them into mere wants. Eg. You need clothes, but you want to wear designer clothes. That's a want versus need scenario that faces many. Many tend to think if it isn't 'name brand' then it "nah seh nut'n" But what they fail to realize is there are many ways to wear simple clothes that looks just as good as the expensive ones. Before you make grand splurges think "Do I want it or do I need it". If you can't decide, then wait a week or so and think about it. Then make a decision. Do whatever is in your best interest.

3) Start early

 Develop effective spending and saving patterns from early. These tend to follow you throughout your lifetime. Learn about saving options and make saving a continuous habit. A good way is to automatically set aside an amount and spend from the remainder and watch your money grow over time. There is actually this magic little thing called compound interest that works wonders in your favour. The younger you start saving, the more it works in your favour and the more you accumulate. Time is working in your favour so take advantage of it. Although it's never too late to start, the sooner the better.

4) Create a budget

 A budget is your guide to spending. It shows how much you currently have to spend and helps you allocate your money accordingly. Prepare the most important things first such as food and savings but also include the fun stuff such as movies with friends. But remember first things first. You may not have all the money for the fun stuff in week one but if you put a little aside each week you can have a day each month just for fun because you budgeted and planned for it.

 5) Create a reward system

 Budgets, goals and priorities are all important, however, what's the point in constantly making the effort to improve your finances and not enjoying the fruits of your labour. Admittedly, accomplishing your goals is a reward in itself but sometimes you need to reward the small efforts. A good way to make you more eager to accomplish each goal is to associate each with a reward. "If I accomplish goal X, then I get Y" that way you get twice the reward for every goal. Just remember not to overdo it.

 6) Know your limits

 Don't get so carried away trying to accomplish goals that you neglect yourself. You do not need to dive head first into anything but rather should start slow and develop habits overtime. These things take time and as mentioned before it is working with you. Keep an eye out for new opportunities. Research all the options available to you, options related to your goals and learn how you can take advantage of them.  Live within your means and make little steps each day towards your dreams.

 Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.-Robert Coolier

 -Ornella Green

Let us all be thankful

Jamaicans are known for our adaptive nature and culture. Especially, us the younger generation, we tend to emulate much of what we see our American counterparts do, say, act and dress on tv. This is often thought by older generations to erode our own identity as a people and we have taken on everything 'bad'.

 While this may be true in some regard, there are may good aspects of the American culture that we often forget or fail to adapt. One such thing is Thanksgiving. On November 22, 2012, the USA celebrated its Thanksgiving Day holiday. It's a holiday centered around coming together with family and friends and giving thanks for all the blessings in our lives. It's about community, charity, gratitude and family. These are the principles that many Jamaicans should adopt into our society.

And we don't have to celebrate Thanksgiving day or wait until the Christmas season to start put these things into practice. Although in these trying economic times, we can become so engrossed in our problems and forget the important things. Everyday is an opportunity to show appreciation and show that you care. 

Here are some food for thought:

 1) Do you wake up in the mornings and give thanks for life, the new day, health, family or friends?

 2) Do you spend quality time with your family members on a regular basis?

 3) Do you tell your loved ones that you love them each day?

 4) Do you take time to help others? Whether it be spending time with those less fortunate than you, helping a child with his/her homework or helping the disabled with a task?

Remember time waits for no man, so be thankful for all you have and look for the small blessings in each day.

-Ornella Green