WHAT STRESSES YOU?
WHAT STRESSES YOU?
On a recent visit with a relative to his regular cardiologist appointment, I learned some enlightening information from the nurse practitioner. In a discussion focused on cholesterol, she related that the soft plaque that floats around in our arteries is what we need to try to control through diet, exercise, and stress management.
My thinking then turned to what exactly ‘stresses’ us this time of year when we should be enjoying the holidays and the special gatherings as well as winding down from the busyness the past year has brought.
For many, including myself, Number One is Money Stress. Did your December Money Stress include any of the following:
*Gift Giving – Do I have the ‘just right’ gift for each person?
*Travel & Gatherings – Money on flights, extra car travel, extra trips to the grocery store?
*Renewals – Organizations, insurance?
*Taxes – Personal property taxes, real estate taxes, business taxes?
*End of Year Donations?
How can you control your Money Stress in 2026? An excellent and easy place to start is to focus on a Monthly Budget. What can this do for you?
- Help You Control Your Money
- Prevent Overspending by Setting Limits
- Help You Save
- Help You Reach Your Goals Faster
- Encourage Good Habits
- Help With Emergencies
- Reduce Stress
Knowing you have a plan for your money makes you more secure and less worried. If you have never used a budget or would like to start over with a new budget for 2026, we offer a basic budget format on SpareChange.Systems. Having a budget for your money in 2026 is a healthy way to start your year and manage your stress levels! (Oh, and don’t tell, but I already have a couple 2026 Christmas gifts ordered!)
“If you measure something, you can understand it. If you understand it, you can control it, and if you can control it, you can improve it.” The same holds true in your monthly budgeting.
The reality is that it is nearly impossible to complete & follow a monthly budget without improving your overall financial position. There are several reasons for this, so I would challenge you to do this.
First, just developing a budget for yourself will raise your awareness of what you have for revenue or income sources and then also boost your cognizance of how much you are spending each month. Next, you will come to grips with the reality of one of three facts. Either you need to boost your income sources, reduce your outgoing expenditures or, thank goodness, if you have more income than expenses, you can then save some money. Of course, this is fantastic! You just need to determine where you will store or invest those extra funds each month…
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