OMG…it’s here already!?

I truly hope that each and every one of you have had a safe and happy Christmas and new year…my thoughts are with those in the fire danger areas of Australia…and I ask you all to take a moment to thank the very courageous fire fighters who risk their lives for our safety…thankyou xo

Over the holiday period I made a huge decision and in 2015 I’ll be pushing myself further from my comfort zone – I have booked myself into a writing course in Paris later in the year…this means I’ll be travelling on my own (which is a big challenge to someone who is hearing impaired and often relies on those close to help with communication…) plus I’ll be tapping into my “creative” side by working with words instead of numbers.

As I made this decision and started planning my trip, I put the call out on my personal Facebook page for others to think of, and commit to, a challenge of their own – and now I’m asking you too!

It can be anything – it may be business or personal – but it needs to be something that you don’t always do – and it needs to be something for YOU!

I’d love to hear all about it, so please keep me posted…

Now…let’s get into 2015!

Regards

We made it to the end of 2014…and what a year it has been!

I recently had another session with my mentor where we reviewed the year just gone, and talked about my achievements – always a great conversation to have – you should try it!

Of course for me, my greatest achievement, career wise, for 2014 was the launch of The Tax Chic!

My greatest personal achievement was probably turning 40…and living to tell the tale!

I really want to thank you all for your encouragement and continued support as I navigate my way around social media and the world of blogging…

The Tax Chic will be taking a break between Christmas and New Year – although the internet is never far away so please get in Contact if you need.

Blogging will return on Monday 5th January, 2015 – until then you can keep an eye on things via:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

Again, thankyou for your support and I wish you, your family and friends a Happy Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year – I look forward to seeing you in 2015, it’s going to be magnificent!

Regards

I have always been a fan of having goals…I might not have written them down in the past, but I can now see the importance of doing so…

Everyone should have goals…personal goals, business goals, performance goals or financial goals – a goal is a goal no matter what the desired result relates to.

Have you heard the concept S.M.A.R.T in relation to goal setting?  Being S.M.A.R.T about your goals will help you stay focussed and assist in achieve them:

•  Specific – be as specific as you can, start by answering the “Who, What, Where, When and Why” in relation to your goal
• Measurable – establish how you will determine your goal has been achieved, quantify or suggest an indicator of progress such as “how much or how many?”
• Attainable – goals should be attainable, but remember that sometimes we need to take smaller steps to achieve them – as you reach your “mini goals” you will likely find yourself developing confidence and your “big goals” will move closer
• Realistic – you must be willing and able to work towards your goals, this requires effort…and only you can control how much effort you are prepared to expend…
• Timely – deciding on a timeframe assists in maintaining motivation and provides a sense of urgency to keep you accountable

The end of the year is a fantastic time to set goals for the coming year…I’m not talking “New Years Resolutions”…I’m talking genuine goals – have a think and let me know how you go!

Regards

 

 

You should know by now that I’m a planner…I like to think ahead!  Now I know that Christmas 2014 is not yet over, but already I’m planning for Christmas 2015!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve held a “Christmas Club” account at the bank – dutifully depositing a set amount each fortnight to alleviate the financial pressure of December…it works well for me as I’m able to cover my present requirements and have some leftover to spend on myself – that’s a win-win situation if ever there was!

My tips for saving are:

1. Review your budget

If you have never saved in advance for Christmas, and feel at your wits end each year as you try to find enough money to buy what you want to buy and do things you want to do – I thoroughly recommend having a look at your current budget and seeing if there is anything you can do to give yourself a few dollars a week to save…doing it “bit by bit” is a lot easier than trying to find a big wad of cash at Christmas!

2. Open a “Christmas Club” or online saver account

Make sure you have a separate bank account to put these funds…and don’t touch it!  I have my Christmas Club account at a different financial institution to my normal banking, I don’t have an ATM card and I don’t have internet banking – when I’m ready to withdraw my savings I have to actually go into the bank and fill out a withdrawal slip…it certainly deters me from trying to dip into this money during the year.

3. Consider a “Money Challenge”

You may have seen a version of the 52 week money challenge on social media – this challenge encourages you to save a set amount each week for a full year ($1 in week 1, $2 in week 2 through to $52 in week 52) – on this basis you will have $1,378 at the end of your 52 weeks.  This does place pressure in the later weeks of the year which may coincide with Christmas if you start in January – but it’s still less pressure than trying to find $1,378 at one time – you may even consider reversing the weeks if you think that might suit your circumstances.

For 2015 I will be continuing my Christmas Club tradition, I’ve also drawn up a money challenge of my own to save for another goal…I’m excited already!

That’s it for my Christmas 2014 tips – does anyone have anything they’d like to add?

Regards