During this festive season, I was talking with a friend on phone and he told me "Sammy, I have spent beyond my budget this season." He even went further to say that he needed financial assistance at least to be able to go back to his base. Well, I helped out in the way I could, and then I advised him against seasonal pressures that can make someone spend beyond what they could bear. It is true that every festive season comes with its own expectations, and the Yuletide is not an exception. This has caused a lot of people to undertake some financial expenditures because they are compelled to. Some even do it to please people or to feel belonged. But they fail to ask themselves this; "after the season, what comes next?"
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A lot of people have been forced to do impulse buying, and some other unnecessary expenditures because of the pressures of the season. More often than not, these pressures arise from competition. The need for new clothes just to show off like someone else, the feeling of belonging created by buying things that others do, travelling because others do, or even spending lavishly. I am not saying that spending is bad, but it is not good to spend outside what you can comfortably bear and end up putting pressure on your pocket or becoming financially stranded. What you should understand is that the money you spend to impress people does not bring lasting satisfaction. When the festive season passes, what will become of you with what is left?
Before you spend, do you pause for a moment to ask yourself if you can comfortably afford it without harming your future? It is not about wanting to spend, but do you really need to spend on what you want to spend on? I have seen people spend unnecessarily during the festive season, but when the season is over, they start looking for assets to sell to survive. There will be many other season celebrations to come, so you do not have to break your pocket because of one. Do not spend because you want to impress people or because you want to feel belonged or to prove a point, but because what you are spending on is worth it. That is, apply wisdom in your expenditures.
It is worthy to note that spending wisely does not mean avoiding celebration. Rather it means choosing to be intentional even in your spendings, instead of just reckless indulgence. It is financial wisdom that teaches you to plan ahead, and not to consume everything you have in the present, because a rainy day may come when you do not expect it. You have to set a limit and have a budget, then understand that every single money you have has an assignment. Instead of reacting to the pressures that come with the season, wisdom will help you to respond with purpose. You have to understand that life continues even after the Yuletide, and it comes with bills, responsibilities, and demands. If you spend all you have during the season, what will you do when the season is passed?
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A lot of people indulge in impulse buying this period. A friend showed me what she bought some days ago. But what draw my attention was when she said that she does not really need it after she bought it. I asked her why she bought it and she said that it appealed to her. Apparently she entered a store to buy other things and then saw it and also bought it. The funny part is that she does not really need it. The money she used for it would have been used for something else. Now she is saying that she is very low on cash. What could have easily been avoided. You do not need to put yourself under avoidable pressure because you want to have a feeling of the season.
Always remind yourself that the pressures of the season is temporary but the consequences of a wrong financial decision can stick around for a very long time. Financial wisdom looks beyond the moment, but also considers the future, your stability, your sanity, your peace of mind, and more importantly, your growth. In all these, just know that there is still a life after the Yuletide celebrations.
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