Ready For The Holidays? 3 Questions To Answer
On Friday this week, most businesses with close with accompanying pomp, and business will shut down so people can go for the annual Christmas / New Year break. Unless you are completely anti-holiday, you most probably have plans for the Christmas break. From the very Kenyan plans (holidaying in Mombasa), to the more humble (visiting folks upcountry), you are guaranteed to be spending a bit more than usual during this period. But are you really ready for the holidays?
- Have you paid your January bills? We have a strange culture where December salaries are paid before Christmas. I suppose it is because offices are closed through the new year, and for people to have some money for the holiday. However, this money is NOT for December spending. Please settle your bills now. If you are a regular on this blog and have been practicing what we preach, you have a rough idea of how much money you need per month. Set this money aside and leave the debit card to that particular account at home as you set off for the holidays. The holiday euphoria has a way of taking us over, making us rationalize purchases with thoughts like “Ah! Let me pay for xyz, I’ll make it up in January by carrying lunch to work”. Do not do this. It does not work most of the time. There’s a reason January has been christened “Njaanuary” over the year. It is because the month starts on the 18th of December, and ends on the 31st of January. For most people, the month is longer than their money, and it is therefore a hungry month. Let us purpose to not be hungry and broke in January.
- Are you certain you are getting a great holiday deal? It is common knowledge that many people go on family holidays over this period. A good number Kenyans choose this period to go to Mombasa and other holiday spots around the country.
Knowing our business tendencies, most businesses take advantage of this boom to make sure they’re getting the most money, for the least value. Hotels will have “holiday supplement”, a price bump during holidays, without an improvement in their offering, and at worse, a lower quality offering. If you have booked a holiday “deal” at this time, it most probably is not a deal for you, it definitely is a deal for the businesses hosting you. Do you have to go on holiday at this time? Can you spend the time at home, then take time off during kids’ mid terms in February to take a family holiday then? If you do not have kids, it is even easier, consider choosing an off-peak month to have your holiday. Then it will be a really great deal for you! - Have you planned your holiday homework? The end of year break is a time of rest and fun, but it is also a great time to reflect on the direction your life is taking. If you are into life planning, plan to make time to review your life plan, what you achieved in 2015, and what you will do differently next year. Yes, years are a fictional measure of the passage of time , but this measure lends itself well to life planning. Allocate at least half a day during the holiday break to reflect on life, and plan out your year, and actionable things you want to achieve. Remember, just like real homework, it sticks better if you write stuff down. You can use Michael Hyatt’s Life Plan template or even a simple notebook. Reflection makes for deliberate living.
Happy Holidays!
