We’ve all paid “stupid tax”—making costly decisions with zeros on the end. A lot of those decisions happen when we’re caught up in the emotion of the Christmas season and procrastinate a little too long.

Make this year different!

Here are the top 10 Christmas shopping mistakes and how you can act differently:

1. Not prioritizing.
   Instead of getting stressed out with all the parties, baking and shopping, in addition to your normal daily life, set some priorities before you’re bombarded with a million requests. Think about which things are “must do” and which are “would be nice to do.” It’s all right to say no to keep yourself sane. Shopping for gifts is more fun when you’re not completely stressed out.
   
   
2. Not using a budget.
   Before you make a gift list and head to the mall, set aside a reasonable amount of money for gifts. Make a commitment that you won’t add $20 to the fund every week just because you saw something cute that your niece would love. Get budgeting advice here.
   
   
3. Using credit cards.
   Once you have your budget finalized, stay away from credit cards! You will still spend 12-18% more if you use plastic, and you’ll be paying it off come 2009! Doesn’t paying with cash sound more freeing than having a credit card balance looming over your head? You bet.
   
   
4. Buying for everyone.
   Do you really need to buy gifts for every family member and friend you have? That can get overwhelming and expensive for everyone. Talk with them and work toward an agreement to draw names for gifts or donate money to a common cause.
   
   
5. Not listening.
   Listen to the hints your loved ones drop about what they need or want this year. Maybe your Aunt Sally mentioned that she would love someone to help her in the garden, or Cousin Bob keeps losing guitar picks. A thoughtful gift like this will mean a lot.
   
   
6. Not having a thought-out list on paper.
   If you think you can spend time in “Christmas retail world” without getting distracted by all the shiny toys, you’re in for a big surprise! You’ll be more likely to buy impulsively if you do it that way. Write down what each person you’re buying for would like and stick to the list. Stay focused!
   
   
7. Not shopping around.
   “Shopping around” doesn’t mean you have to spend 24 extra hours running from store to store to save 10 cents. Take a look at your gift list and do some comparative price-checking online before you head out into the retail and traffic madness. This will save you money, time and stress!
   
   
8. Waiting until the last minute.
   Procrastination is not the most appealing gift out there. Don’t find yourself stressed out on Christmas Eve just because you didn’t invest a little bit of time to plan.
   
   
9. Forgetting to plan for next year.
   Throughout the next year, look for outrageous sales on things your loved ones will need. If you time the sales just right and clip some coupons, you could land a major discount on something you were going to buy in a few months for a birthday or wedding gift. Remember to have a list and budget for this, too.
   
   
10. Forgetting why we celebrate.
    If this season becomes all about shopping and gifts, you’ve missed the whole point. People—not things—matter. The miraculous birth of a baby who changed the world is what matters.
    
    

Related:

• Give the Gift of Hope—Change Someone's Life This Year!
• Creative Christmas Gift Ideas
• How to Become a Stress-Free Shopper

Back to Top

Christmas Gifts - Wonders and Blunders

On one side, you have the autographed baseballs, diamond necklaces and weekend getaways. On the other, you have the homemade sweaters, donations made in your name to obscure charities, and fruitcakes that taste like rocks.

There are good gifts and there are bad gifts. Members of My Total Money Makeover decided to share with each other recently about gifts they got, and gifts they just don’t get.

The Wonders

• I got a MacAuthor Study Bible.
• My dad painted a huge Picasso for our living room! He spent hours getting it perfect, and it made my wife cry.
• Astrostart car starter from my parents. I am going to love that when I get off from working all night and it is below zero outside.
• I got $1,000 from my boss (Christmas bonus), $2,000 from my parents, and my wife got $1,000 from my parents.
• The Sonicare 7300 toothbrush. I could feel the difference after the first brushing! Bye-bye plaque! (Yes, I am getting old. My "toy" this Christmas was a toothbrush.)
• My daughter gave me an empty box (or so I thought) and told me she gave me the most expensive gift she could afford at this time in her small life—a box full of "love, hugs and kisses.” How can one top that?
• My husband gave me a box containing all his cut-up credit cards and told me we were going to both join Dave's team of debt-free buddies! Woo hoo!
• The best things I am not going to get for Christmas are all the credit card bills in January.

• Miniature pool table that my daughter gave me; it is now sitting on her desk—imagine that!
• I was called into work to pick up a gift (bag of pistachios) by my manager and ended up working.
• A cheap grooming kit. I got this gift from someone's boyfriend early one morning. When we headed to another part of the family later on, I re-gifted it to someone else!
• I got 4 Fisher-Price Little People videos for my son. Nearly as annoying as Barney due to that theme song that never leaves your head, but much worse because they were ordered through a catalog and no store in the area carried them. So we can't exchange them for crap we actually want!
• I received an ugly, re-gifted make-up bag from my mom that wasn't even clean on the inside!
• Worst gift was a pair of socks in my stocking. They were so cute—white on the top, black on the bottom. The first time I washed them, they turned gray and black!

Lesson to be learned: The best gifts come from the heart. A Christmas budget helps, too. If you use neither, you might end up on the “worst” list.

See what MyTMMO.com members are talking about this holiday season—it’s free!

Take your FREE Financial Reality Check now!

Back to Top

We Did It!

Our Whole Family is Dumping Debt!
By Tracey in FL

We are dumping debt! Since starting our Total Money Makeover on July 1, 2008, my husband and I have paid off $21,168 in debt. I can't believe how much working on the the budget together truly changed our lives. We are not out of the woods yet, but we should be calling Dave sometime in August 2009 after paying off more than $66,000 in debt. We are changing our family tree!

Our children have also learned to utilize Dave's teachings. My 23-year-old son has paid off $6,000 of debt since May 2008. He is currently debt free. Our 10-year-old daughter has her envelopes and can't wait to use her give money to change another child's life during the Christmas season.

Life is good!

Related:

• Get started with your Total Money Makeover!
• Give the Gift of Hope

Back to Top

Stupid Tax

I Forgot What I Bought!
By Tracy in TN

I always thought I was being smart by shopping for Christmas gifts starting in January. Well, recently I realized that I wasn't as smart as I thought.

In January at the after Christmas sales, I would buy for people, but put the purchases on a credit card. Then in July at the semi-annual sales, I'd buy for people (usually the same people because I would forget I already bought for them) and again put it on the credit card. Come December, I would still owe for both shopping trips, plus interest for 12 months, and have extra gifts lying around the house.

I have now learned my lesson. I don't go to semi-annual sales unless I only spend cash. I also keep a list of all the presents I bought for others so they get one come Christmas.

Now the hard part of paying off all the credit mistakes.

Related:

• Organize Your Cash With Dave's Envelope System
• The Truth About Credit Card Debt
  

Back to Top

Christmas Giveaway - 12 Ways to Say "Thank You!"

It's time to celebrate!

One thing the Dave Ramsey team is thankful for this year is how much this newsletter has grown. This one monthly email is now reaching over 500,000 people with encouragement, tools, and practical advice from Dave!

During this season of thankfulness and giving, we want to say THANK YOU in 12 ways for being a newsletter subscriber! No, not in 12 different languages, but with 12 FREE gifts!

Product giveaways include Financial Peace University memberships, My Total Money Makeover.com memberships, boxed sets of kids' books, and one of our most popular product bundles.

We will randomly choose winners next week and will notify them by email, so don't forget to check your email like a hawk! We will announce the winners in a special Christmas newsletter.

Thanks again for subscribing! Your comments and suggestions about the newsletter are always welcome.

Back to Top

Budget. The dreaded “B” word brings all sorts of negative thoughts to mind. But a budget is just a plan for your money. Whether you’re trying to get out of debt or get a better handle on your spending habits, the first thing to do is create a budget. It doesn’t matter if you’re single or if you’re 70 years old with 16 grandchildren, you need a budget. By giving every dollar a name, you’re telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.

If you’re doing a budget for the first time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. Be patient.
   It may take several months to create a budget that works. Don’t give up. Simply keep trying and eventually you’ll find what works for you.
   
   
2. Spend every penny.
   While creating a budget, you need to account for every cent. It may seem tedious, but you must know where your money is going in order to create a budget that works.
   
   
3. Overfund your grocery category.
   Most people don’t assign enough cash to their grocery fund. As a result, they have a difficult time sticking to the amount they assigned. Make sure you put plenty of cash in your grocery envelope.
   
   
4. Do the budget together.
   If you’re married, your spouse needs to do the budget with you. If you’re single, ask someone to be your accountability partner and show him or her your budget each month. Learn how to communicate with your spouse about money.
   
   
5. Do it!
   In order to make the budget work, you need to actually do it. It’s a pain the first few times, but you’ll be thankful you did it in the long run.

Remember, budget your spending on paper, on purpose, before the month begins. Too many people think a budget stops all of the fun. But that’s not true. They’ll have more fun down the road after they know how much money is coming in and going out. In fact, a lot of people find even more money in their account when they create a realistic budget and stick with it. How fun is that? Check out Dave’s free budget forms to help you get started.

When you develop a plan for your money by using a budget, you are changing your future, just like Clint in Butte, Montana:

My wife and I were both interested in getting a budget that we could work with, so we went to one Financial Peace University (FPU) class and were hooked. We immediately became involved with the program. Thanks to FPU, in 9 months we sold our rental property, paid off student loans, car loans, parent loans and are now debt free except for our house!

To learn more helpful budgeting tips, check out Financial Peace University.

Back to Top

 

Four Important Steps To Sell Your Home

Even though the housing market is struggling, you can still get top dollar for your home. Here are 4 tips that smart home sellers use:

1. Find a great real estate agent.

   A great agent communicates with you and guides you through every step of the selling process—including negotiation. You want an agent who provides great customer service and has sold a lot of homes. Sold homes equal happy clients.
   
   

2. Know why you’re selling, and don’t tell anyone except your agent.

   The reasons behind your decision to sell affect everything, from setting a price to deciding how much time and money to invest in getting your home ready for sale. What’s more important to you? The money you walk away with or the length of time your home is on the market? Different goals require different strategies.
   
   Whatever your reason, don’t reveal it to buyers; they may use it against you at the negotiating table. When asked, simply say that your housing needs have changed.
   
   

3. Do your research before setting a price.

   Your agent is largely responsible for this. Setting an offer price shouldn’t be done lightly. Once you’ve set your price, you’ve told buyers the absolute maximum they have to pay for your home. Pricing too high is as dangerous as pricing too low.
   
   Remember that the average buyer is looking at 15-20 homes at the same time they’re considering yours. If your home doesn’t favorably compare with others in the price range you’ve set, you won’t be taken seriously. As a result, your home will sit on the market for a long time. This is another reason why getting a smart agent is very important in order to sell your home.
   
   

4. Listen to your agent’s advice.

   A good agent knows how to sell a home. Listen to his or her advice. If your agent suggests you should fix something, then fix it. Make all necessary repairs, remove the clutter from your home, and spruce up the curb appeal. Never force potential buyers to use their imaginations when viewing your home.

If you follow these 4 tips, you’re sure to get the most money for your house!

Find an agent in your city who Dave recommends

Back to Top

The 2008 Live Events Year in Review

Dave and his team brought the 2008 Live Events Series to packed auditoriums, filled churches and sold-out conference centers coast to coast, sharing the debt-free message with close to 100,000 people while teaching them how to win with money!

Dave kicked off the season in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the Total Money Makeover LIVE and finished in Cancun, Mexico with business owners and leaders at the EntreLeadership Master Series.

Here’s what happened over the past 12 months:

• Over 1,400 volunteers helped out at The Total Money Makeover in 13 cities.
  
  
• Almost 3,000 church leaders attended special luncheons before certain events.
  
  
• About 10 stage builders, 20 event managers, and 2 event coordinators, plus all the support from the team in Nashville, contributed to make each event happen.
  
  
• More than 20 miles are walked by an event coordinator at each event. Each event coordinator walked an average 20 miles throughout the arena for each event.

Here is what some attendees had to say about their experiences at a live event:

“I laughed a lot and cried a few times also. We brought another couple with us as our guests, and the man's skeptical comment was ’What can he possibly talk about for 4 or 5 hours?’ During the first intermission, his comments had changed to ‘I really like this! He is really funny!’ and 'We need to sell our car!' So, thank you to everybody who contributed to putting on this event!”
—Charleston, SC attendee

“Absolutely amazing! It was the best time I have ever had discussing money and my new future!”
—Atlanta, GA event attendee

“Today was great! I was amazed that anyone could keep my attention for 5 hours; Dave did and never lost me. After seeing Dave today, my husband is finally on board! Tonight we cancelled our plans for the night (an expensive dinner out) for a night at home with rice and beans while working on our budget.”
—Atlanta, GA event attendee

“I am very familiar with Dave's message, so I wasn't planning on going. I'm glad I did, though! I was informed, inspired and entertained all at the same time. Dave's passion really comes through. I'm happy that Dave has such a great following here in Portland! Thanks for making it all the way up to the great Pacific Northwest.”
—Portland event attendee

Don’t miss out on an event close to you this next year! Where’s Dave going to be in 2009?

Back to Top

Dave Ramsey Updates

Where's Dave?

Magazines, websites, LIVE events, TV - Dave's everywhere! Get all the up-to-date info.

Fox Business
On Monday, November 24 and Wednesday, November 26, Dave will be on Fox Business Network's "Fox Business" with Stuart Varney at 12:30pm CST.

Fox & Friends
Dave is scheduled to be on FoxNews Channel's "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday, November 26.

Upcoming 2009 LIVE Events
Here is a list of Dave's upcoming events in 2009:

Back to Top

New Radio Affiliates

Check out our newest stations!
There are over 360 affiliates nationwide.

City & State	Radio Station	Air Times
Prineville, OR	KNLX FM 104.9	M—F 11a.m.—1p.m. PST
Chicago (Waukegan), IL	WKRS AM 1220	M—F 1—4p.m. CST
Macon, GA	WNEX AM 1400	M—Su 6—9p.m. EST
Perry, GA	WPGA AM 980	M—Su 6—9p.m. EST
Cleveland, OH	WELW AM 1330	M—F 6—7p.m. EST
Marion, IL	WGGH AM 1150	M—F 3—6p.m. EST
Greeley, CO	KFKA AM 1310	Sa 9p.m.—12a.m. MST

Back to Top

Quote of the Month

I know that the seeds I sow I will harvest, because every action, good or bad, is always followed by an equal reaction. I will plant only good seeds this day.
—Og Mandino

Back to Top