Experiences over Expenses - and other ways to save this holiday

This article is brought to you by United Way’s Director of Income and Investments, Elena Fracchia.Elena is the staff lead for the Financial Stability Partnership™ and is passionate about helping families find strategies to get to the end of the month with money left over.  No matter how hard I try to fight it, it simply can’t be denied any longer, the holidays are upon us. No matter what you celebrate, temptations are everywhere. From the hottest gadgets to tasty new recipes, it’s hard to exist without running into a ‘great deal’.

Giving Tip: The 4 Gift Approach - something to wear, something to read, something you want, and something you need

It’s catchy, and that’s why we love this tip! Why does this tip work for families? First is the conversation on boundaries. Holidays often result in a never ending wish list for the many ‘wants’ in our lives. The 4 Gift approach widens the view to things like books, clothing and needs. It’s a great opportunity to talk with your family about what are wants verses needs.

Buying Tip: Experiences over Expenses - buying the gift of time

Have you ever bought someone (or yourself) a new amazing toy or gadget only to find it carelessly thrown about the house within a week or a month? “I SWEAR it’s all I want! I won’t ask for anything else!” We’ve all done it. (Side note: Someday I’ll tell you about the most amazing noise cancelling, base boosting headphones I bought and never travel with because they’re too big… but that’s for another blog post.)Now, think of a time that you took a trip somewhere to see an art show, a waterfall, or a tree lighting. The memories we hold from experiences far outlast the material gifts we purchase throughout the course of our lives. This holiday season; consider buying time with and for your loved ones with an experience they can remember for years to come.

Cooking Tip: Iron Chef Challenge - how to make many meals with one (on sale) ingredient

Confession. I’ve never actually watched the Iron Chef, but I do know the premise – top chefs are given a single ingredient and challenged to make multiple dishes to include that ingredient. I’m going to take some creative liberties with this, but go with me here. Last week I bought a whole chicken at the grocery store because it was on sale. The first night I ate chicken with potatoes and carrots. The second night, I didn’t want that, but I had clearly committed to the chicken and felt guilty, so I ate chicken again. By night three, the thought of chicken left me reaching for the take out menus. PAUSE. Here is where the Iron Chef Challenge can become a family affair.What if every member of your family was responsible for a meal (or ideas for meals from the little ones) that included the key ingredient (read: sale item)? Perhaps someone wants chicken tacos. Someone else wants chicken casserole. Someone else wants chicken soup. Voila! A week of meals with chicken! We often feel pressure to purchase sale items in bulk because they’re a great deal. This holiday season, I challenge you to buy those bulk sale items and turn it into a game for the whole family. Brainstorm all the great meals you can make with the same ingredient. 

For more information about financial education and empowerment, contact:

Elena Fracchia, MPADirector, Income and InvestmentsUnited Way of Lane County541-741-6000Efracchia@unitedwaylane.org