Here I am! I have no tv, 1 computer for the whole family, I waited 6 months for purchase a washing machine and instead washed by hand. We always make a santa letter on the 8th,so that if we need something we will make that specific gift... I don't own a credit card, nor a car by choice. I am debt free and was lucky to be like this during pandemic. I am planning to get tickets for Cats the musical which will be in February
Years ago, I had a job where I was clearing out storage units. We wound up working on Black Friday. Some stuff went to charity and the other stuff went into a dumpster (and, presumably, onward to the landfill). I mentioned to my coworker, "Don't you think it's ironic that we're out here clearing out all this stuff that no one wants on the same day everyone else is out buying more stuff?" I wondered for awhile how long it would take for all that stuff people were buying to end up in storage units only for people like me, at the time, to come and clean them out.
I decided to cancel the two streaming services I have. This is due to the outrageous price increase of one of the streaming services and the fact that I waste my time watching movies and TV shows I've seen already. I want to achieve more in 2024!
Yowza!!! I did the exact same thing! I probably went more extreme and cancelled internet, Amazon prime, absolutely ALL subscriptions. I too was paying too much money and wasting too much time. I had a vision of what I wanted my life to look like including more financial security but lived paycheck to paycheck. It has been a win, win ever since I did it. I do listen to RUclips and free podcasts and that can be done while I stay motivated using my phone. I dont need to “plant” on the couch or stress bills. I freed up almost a couple hundred by doing this. We got this!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@@rebeccabaron1348 You are an inspiration to me! I'm considering getting rid of my internet. For me it's $1,200 per year and much of it has been a waste of time. It seems like a really frivolous expense now.
Exactly I wish other people in the family would step up on the concept but they want to spend their money on things that a lot we don’t need, it’s just almost like I got to do it out of guilt And this is not what Christmas is about
@@Spirits2000 I started small. It took a few years to get everyone on board. I suggested one year that we each draw names, and set a limit on the gift price. It worked. We did that for a few years, then I suggested that we drew only the children's names.... then no exchange. Buying gifts has always stressed me out, and receiving them. Becoming a minimalist was one of the best things I've ever done for my mental health. Others in my family have seen the change and followed suit. Good luck!
My bff brought some little gifys from her trip from Thailand, I hide them right away and will open it on xmas day, we both love each others, and we consider each other family ❤. My kids don't know anything and will be surprised
My family too. I rather spend time with my family & friends instead of stressing over what gift to purchase & if they like it or even want it. The holidays for me is about the good company, good conversation & good food. Years ago, we started small. Buy one $50 secret Santa gift for only one adult. Only the kids received gifts but we'd asked the parents for their kids' wish list. Then we gradually moved to no gifts for the adults. Now that the kids are older we just give them money to teach them the value of money & give them an option to buy what they want or simply save it. Happy holidays everyone 😊.
Years ago, Christmas was not commercial. It was celebrated with lots of wonderful traditions families and communities looked forward to, over the month of December, not just one day. Just a few that come to mind are, caroling, the Christmas play (this can be both a church play, and a childrens school play), a community Festival of Lights and/or parade where the town turns on the lights to the Christmas tree, the decorating of the family tree with egg nog and Christmas music, crafting with kids - I remember doing chains with construction paper in red and green, and stringing together popcorn and cranberries, and making our own wreaths, and cutting out paper snowflakes. This next one is a biggie, making heartfelt gifts for loved ones. This is based on your own skill, it could be knitting, it could be sewing, it could be carpentry, maybe a homemade gift certificate for lawn mowing, painting or making dinners. Its so much more special than anything someone could just buy.
This is so true, Joshua. Thank you for sharing 🎉 After many years of turning down my spending volume, my sons (age 22 and 23) have decided to go all in for a No Buy Christmas this year. They are so cool, and I am very proud of them ❤ We will focus on being together with our family, instead of spending money on stuff!! Happy Holiday 🎄
My Hubby & I decided to only do gifts for our college-aged nieces & nephew & younger. No adults except our parents will get a gift with the exception of a few church staff. Our house is paid off & we've almost pd off our car. We want to save more $ so we can have financial freedom. This next yr is our 25th anniversary & we'd like to take a nice trip & enjoy being totally debt free. 😊
Great message and so timely! We’ve stopped buying gifts for the most part. I am planning cookie baking days with each grandchild. This will include hot chocolate and playing cards. I enjoy listening to records and my adult kids love this so we’ll be enjoying visits with a vintage activity. Also we will be helping cook and serve a community Christmas meal. There real are so many ways to celebrate special times without spending anything. Thanks for thoughtful message.
I love that one on one time with my children and grandchildren. I used to take each of my 3 children for a Christmas shopping time and a meal out. They liked that😊☃️🌟🍪☕️
Not shopping. It’s funny, my entire extended family feels so bad that my husband doesn’t “shop” for me. I have never had an issue with it. I will buy what I want and what I will use. Have a great holiday and keep inspiring!
I ignore black Friday and no Christmas gifts for adults in the family this year by agreement. We're keeping it simple for the holiday season. Thanks for your message
Required field trip for all school kids - a visit to the local landfill, to see where most of this stuff ends up eventually. It doesn't bring happiness or joy for more than a short time
I’m days long ago, people used to get things they needed and waited all year long for. Now we get what we want, when we want, no matter the cost(financial or time).
Not me. Won't buy a thing but food. About time we get over this absurdity. If people were honest with kids, instead of indoctrination to materialism, there wouldn't be trillions of debt. Get away from consumerism, live life genuinely and simply.
Your message is so good and greatly needed these days. We are wasting so much time and so much energy… We do not need all the stuff. We do not need all the stuff. We do need not need all the stuff!!!! We need healthy relationships, and these take time and effort. Let’s get to it.❤
I finally clear my debts this January. Its been a hard slog but I've got there. Taught both my boys about finances as soon as they started working. They now put money into a savings account as soon as they get paid
No spend holidays for me, that’s my gift to myself. I’m giving my voice to my friends and love ones with thank you messages and how much I appreciate them.
My husband and I have long given up on shopping for Christmas and birthdays. We were giving gift cards, but with the starting price of the gift cards ($2.95 to $5.95) we no longer do that. We just give the much needed cash to every one. Years ago we asked them all if they would rather have cash or a gift. Every one unanimously opted for the cash. We don't stand on tradition here, instead we stand on practicality. Btw, I love your channel.
Here only kids get gifts and not a crazy amount for an even crazier amount of money. No gift hunting for adults in our family and it is just great, but when our kids were born, we made it a habit to make a photobook in december about the year. And since our parents loved to look through it, it became a tradition that we gift the grandparents und greatgrandparents a reduced version for Christmas and they love it so so much.
Amazing message! I’m so glad I’m listening to this before I sit at the computer today to do online Black Friday shopping. it feels that everything you are teaching, I intuitively already know. But to have someone verbalize publicly that Christmas can be done differently, is liberating.
Thanks, Joshua! We've loved giving experiences to family...lunch or dinner at a special place, or a traveling special exhibit, art museum, concert or ballgames, the ballet, movies. The time is always a treasure. Sometimes I like to give "family night" type gifts like a fun game, popcorn & treats so families have a fun time together...always popular!!! We have a Christmas Club/Budget...so we plan ahead and stay away from credit card debt. My parents did the same thing with their nieces and nephews...a day at the waterpark, an amusement park, etc. My cousins SO looked forward to getting a special envelope with what they had planned at Christmas. 😊 My cousins are in their 40's now and still talk about their day trips with them! Thankful for parents who taught me how to budget and that life is about people not stuff.🍂🥧🍁
Im a senior and have old small appliances, and black Friday is good to replace older ones that dont work as well as newer useful ones. I mean, I don't like to spend money, but how long can you hang on to a useless blender? That is so noisy and doesn't do the job. Or how long can you hang on to an old hand mixer? That's ready to fall apart just because you're from the old school and have a welfare mentality.. My father used to be so cheap that he would take nails. That were still good, but we're bent and put them on a vice and hammer them until they were straight. Good thing he didn't have many. But if he bent one, he picked it up, and immediately, he'd straightened it out and then used it. That's what I called tight. He would take all the appliances from the dumpster. Because people didn't want it because of the color or something. Minor was wrong with it, and he would put it back on his pickup truck and bring it home. Fix it and then make fifty bucks in the sixties. But sometimes it's nice to have something new for yourself when you're a senior. Especially if you were raised with parents who didn't throw out anything at all!! I'll tell you my dad was born 1906 mom 1930. And i'm not even seventy years old yet.😅😅 So that gives you an idea of what generation Mindsets I went through. It was always just in case. So there were always two or three of something. And every time we moved, which was once a year because dad would build a house. Live in it and build another house so he would save all the taxes. But he would have to drag all that into the next home that he built. So I deserve something new. And I used to feel guilty for buying something for myself. And I think it was because of my dad's strong religious religious upbringing. You know the one that teaches you if you're bad. You'll go to hell, and if you good. You'll go to heaven and if you're not so good you'll go to purgatory.😅 So, with that strong teaching enforced in me. At an early age. I wasn't even allowed to have many material things. Because it was being materialistic. It was a sign of greed or whatever and that I had to get away from. I've changed religion since then. And I still believe in what the Bible says about not being materialistic and putting God first. But there's nothing wrong with having nice things. As long as you don't get into debt and it ruins your spirituality. Being balanced is the most important thing in life. So with that said, I went and bought a nice new hand mixer 75 percent off. What do you think of those apples. And I love myself enough that I'm not going to return it and say I have to deny myself. Of nice things. And it's a lot more quieter than the old one. I've had for fifteen years and it doesn't rattle like the old one. And this one has a five year warranty. Hopefully I will hopefully I'll live long enough to use it all the time 😅
Would someone please forward this to all the men and women in Washington. They need to set an example for everyone. We need to vote out the ones who don't
Thanks for sharing! Love all the wisdom, tips and ideas. My go-to money mindset ideas are writing down my needs vs wants, wait before big purchases, pay with cash only, track spending and always have a budget.
Thank you LORD, for leading me to Joshua’s channel🙏💕. Thank you for surviving covid a few years ago but most importantly I am deeply grateful LORD, for teaching me through the above mentioned, how to be really mindful in making every life decision🙏💕. I am chosing and purchasing carefully. My paying of bank loans has become a priority👍😁🙃. Although I do buy Christmas gifts for my close family and friends , but I try to buy a really well-thought ones💕. Very warm greetings from Poland❄️😉
Great advice and suggestions! We’re not a big gift giving family, and when we gift something it is for something we know the person wants (because they vocalize it or provide a wish list) or an experience of some kind.
Your sooo right…the best gift is your TIME because it is priceless [You can’t purchase it]. NO ONE can live their life backwards IT MUST always BE LIVED FORWARDS
Beautiful and important message, Joshua! I can't believe that the debt in the US is that high! I don't know the debt here in Germany,but I think it is getting more and more. And this black friday thing is expanding here also. It is frustrating to see, how the streets are full of hundreds of cars all driving to a big shopping mall. Not to mention what is happening also with online shopping. I don' t understand this. So much people are claiming that prices are increasing and the inflation rate is high but on the other hand there are all these people who are spending so much money on the - I think mostly fake sale prices- of black friday.....
Great message and totally agree with the ending too . We are out of debt long ago, but due to our circumstances we need to watch it. Did not spend a cent this Black Friday, and I am still alive 😀. For our immediate family we give them some small they need and its only 7 of us. For the extended family gathering we do Kris Kringle for about $15-20 (one present 👍) We have to accept that there will always be some family members who will never be happy with what food they eat, or what presents they get at Christmas time. But we cannot worry about them- because they have not decided to step into the journey of how to be content and be grateful for what they have yet. But most do understand and appreciate simplicity .
This is very true and the older you get the more you realize it. At least it’s been the case for me. Great video and it’s never been about the gifts. the true gift is family and friends and being together. Not everyone else is so fortunate. Keep up the great vids. A new subscriber and fan!
Thank you for this, and I wish more were talking about this... We spend way to much in this country, spending what people don't have... and it's putting people more and more into debt... wish more realized that.. I've been telling my remaining family (it's shrinking unfortunately) that I really don't want any gifts, stuff that will clutter, stuff I don't need/want.. and cutting back has helped with being debt free now here..
As I am now older, I have stopped buying fancy Christmas cards, fancy decorations, and ostentatious gifts...at the end of the day, it is all about being together and having a great experience to carry with you!
I'm 74, been married 51 years. I have never shopped on Black Friday, or gone into debt over holiday season. When our kids, now 49,47, and 42, were kids they got homemade gifts, and one store bought toy. Grandparents each bought one big gift. Our grandchildren each get one big gift, kids get checks. Little kids don't care about $$ amounts. They'll unwrap a new cape for an old action figure or a new handmade coat for Barbie with the same smile. Trust me. Tina, Al's wife
We have always given our children 3 gifts each. Just like Jesus received 3 gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. We also go through gift catalogs like Good Samaritan or World Vision and pick out chickens or rabbits etc. to buy Jesus a "Christmas gift". The kids love knowing that a family in need will be blessed with the cute farm animals.
I decided to just do the regular periodic stockups just to see if it would be a better sale than other times. Lol. (Pet supplies in bulk-such as 50 lb bag of chick feed and 40 lbs pine pellets for cat litter). Checking on cat food deals etc. I think I saved a few bucks overall but it’s interesting to note that even on Black Friday, it wasn’t much better than other sales they put on. So in that way I could look around and investigate, scratch the BF itch and still not get so caught up in the frenzy this time of year. Lol. But then again I’m not in debt either and I haven’t gone crazy with Christmas gifts in quite awhile.
Definitely a wish list person especially with a December birthday. Also set a price limit of $100. Really makes you think. I've often finished my xmas shopping by September. Never been in debt because of the holidays.
My golden rule is to ALWAYS have a shopping list. I use Black Friday to purchase things I was already planning on getting, but at a lower cost. If it's not on the list, it doesn't get bought! I also set a budget for everything, including Christmas - if something takes us over budget, then it doesn't happen. It doesn't just mean I avoid going into debt, it also means I'm less stressed because I'm not shopping so much and I don't have to store/look after a load of stuff I don't need!
If you are short on money this year give the gift of service - think how special it would be for elderly relatives if you promised to do something for them that they find difficult, so many things that could be done depending on the situation - like offering to come by once a month for the next year and do a few hours of deep cleaning, mowing the grass, some minor house repairs, the list is endless. The same type of "service" gift could be offered for teenagers or older children - think how special it would be if you gave them a few "travel vouchers" where you offered to drive them somewhere they wanted to go, you could always put limits on that, but kids are always wanting to "go" somewhere! There are tons of things you can do for people as a service gift that cost very little, maybe some time but very little money. Just make sure you follow through.
I’m in the UK and they go crazy for Black Friday here now too. They’ve been doing Black Friday deals since the start of November and I had so many emails this morning re Black Friday deals! Obviously there’s still a lot of things I need to unsubscribe from!
We don’t buy gifts anymore. We give our niece and her family a set amount of money to use to do something together as a family. That’s it. I take advantage of the Black Friday sales to get products we use all year like skin care, towels, and other things we need etc at a discount. Our toaster oven broke about a month ago so that got replaced on Friday.
Our kids know how to declutter and we did not buy on Black Friday, we bought the things they really want and knew what they would use, my family has a set budget, each to their own, and they do not get presents often
It is sad and shocking to learn the amount of debt incurred by Black Friday and Christmas. Even sadder the fact some of these gifts will not be appreciated or returned.
The problem with the kids is that they believe presents make them happy. They want stuff, they are looking forward to getting it. My son said, that if he is not getting expensive presents on Christmas, it will be a great disappointment, because he was waiting for this moment the whole year. My mistake was to let my kids get used to fantastic Christmases and birthdays, with a lot of surprises and insane amounts of money spent. It would have been much better if from the beginning I opted for modest, family celebrations and small gifts
Well then, better start soon opting for modest celebrations and showing that you don’t need expensive gifts to have a great and meaningful celebration.
What I do whenever I give someone a gift no matter what time of the year. I always give them a gift card even when it comes to baby showers and that way they can choose. A lot of people are happier that way. Because who wants to return something that they may have already two or three of. And I love giving gift cards for people who love a certain restaurant. Or who love a certain pizza place. I certainly can't bring them a pizza not knowing if they like a SIM crust of fat. Cross a medium crust or whether they like pepperoni or no meat. So that's how I deal with gifts. And I save on wrapping paper and cards which pollute the earth. And i'm not into polluting the earth with plastic and excessive unneeded purchases. We have a wonderforce let's take care of it.❤
I told my daughter and her husband, please don't spend money on for my birthday or Christmas. They have a new baby boy and lots of expenses. If they want to give me something I rather have some money to help pay some bills.
Josh, while I agree 100% with a lot of what you say, credit card debt is also the result of government policy. We have no living wage. People not paid a living wage resort to credit for necessities. I bet if analyzed, credit card debt would reveal a majority of purchases are necessities. We do not have affordable public housing. Rent is too damn high. Mortgages are becoming unaffordable. We force youth to pay for higher ed. It’s government subsidized in other countries to benefit the country as a whole. Let’s not blame the consumer entirely. Yes individuals have agency. But what if you need to charge that tank of gas, just to get to your job. We assume people are poor by choice, and that is not always true. We live in a society that makes it harder to move ahead. Maybe impossible. You and I grew up in a time where education was affordable. We grew up when rent did not take 50% or better of income. Housing was affordable. You speak to people who are more like us, and less like the generation coping with the reality of today. God bless.
Thanks for the comment. But I disagree that most expenses carried on credit cards are necessities. Those who carry the most credit card debt are those in the 40-64 age bracket-not those who are just starting out-in fact, 18-29 year old carry the least. I also disagree that credit card debt is a result of government policy. It's a result of personal choice. But I appreciate the conversation.
Haha I just hoped I may find a shoes for sale, but I could not even find my size. I don't care about Black Friday and wont go crazy crawling over people.
I spent over 20 years working retail. Fact: retailer's mark up 400% & then mark down 25% 😑 ⚠️ it's stupid!!! 103,000 $$$ in debt. Average? Deuteronomy 6 : 7
Non-stressed parents is the best gift we can give our kids! 🎉
Here I am! I have no tv, 1 computer for the whole family, I waited 6 months for purchase a washing machine and instead washed by hand. We always make a santa letter on the 8th,so that if we need something we will make that specific gift... I don't own a credit card, nor a car by choice. I am debt free and was lucky to be like this during pandemic. I am planning to get tickets for Cats the musical which will be in February
Love this
Years ago, I had a job where I was clearing out storage units. We wound up working on Black Friday. Some stuff went to charity and the other stuff went into a dumpster (and, presumably, onward to the landfill). I mentioned to my coworker, "Don't you think it's ironic that we're out here clearing out all this stuff that no one wants on the same day everyone else is out buying more stuff?" I wondered for awhile how long it would take for all that stuff people were buying to end up in storage units only for people like me, at the time, to come and clean them out.
I decided to cancel the two streaming services I have. This is due to the outrageous price increase of one of the streaming services and the fact that I waste my time watching movies and TV shows I've seen already. I want to achieve more in 2024!
Funny thing is once you cancel, come companies will lower their prices at a ridiculous rate.
Yowza!!! I did the exact same thing! I probably went more extreme and cancelled internet, Amazon prime, absolutely ALL subscriptions. I too was paying too much money and wasting too much time. I had a vision of what I wanted my life to look like including more financial security but lived paycheck to paycheck. It has been a win, win ever since I did it. I do listen to RUclips and free podcasts and that can be done while I stay motivated using my phone. I dont need to “plant” on the couch or stress bills. I freed up almost a couple hundred by doing this. We got this!!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@@rebeccabaron1348 You are an inspiration to me! I'm considering getting rid of my internet. For me it's $1,200 per year and much of it has been a waste of time. It seems like a really frivolous expense now.
Our family no longer exchange gifts. We gather for one large meal and celebrate that way. So much more fun and very little stress!
Yes!!! Us too' 🎉
Glad there's other people who "choose" to skip the wasteful spending and focus on togetherness instead!
Exactly I wish other people in the family would step up on the concept but they want to spend their money on things that a lot we don’t need, it’s just almost like I got to do it out of guilt And this is not what Christmas is about
@@Spirits2000 I started small. It took a few years to get everyone on board. I suggested one year that we each draw names, and set a limit on the gift price. It worked. We did that for a few years, then I suggested that we drew only the children's names.... then no exchange. Buying gifts has always stressed me out, and receiving them. Becoming a minimalist was one of the best things I've ever done for my mental health. Others in my family have seen the change and followed suit. Good luck!
My bff brought some little gifys from her trip from Thailand, I hide them right away and will open it on xmas day, we both love each others, and we consider each other family ❤. My kids don't know anything and will be surprised
My family too. I rather spend time with my family & friends instead of stressing over what gift to purchase & if they like it or even want it. The holidays for me is about the good company, good conversation & good food. Years ago, we started small. Buy one $50 secret Santa gift for only one adult. Only the kids received gifts but we'd asked the parents for their kids' wish list. Then we gradually moved to no gifts for the adults. Now that the kids are older we just give them money to teach them the value of money & give them an option to buy what they want or simply save it. Happy holidays everyone 😊.
Years ago, Christmas was not commercial. It was celebrated with lots of wonderful traditions families and communities looked forward to, over the month of December, not just one day. Just a few that come to mind are, caroling, the Christmas play (this can be both a church play, and a childrens school play), a community Festival of Lights and/or parade where the town turns on the lights to the Christmas tree, the decorating of the family tree with egg nog and Christmas music, crafting with kids - I remember doing chains with construction paper in red and green, and stringing together popcorn and cranberries, and making our own wreaths, and cutting out paper snowflakes. This next one is a biggie, making heartfelt gifts for loved ones. This is based on your own skill, it could be knitting, it could be sewing, it could be carpentry, maybe a homemade gift certificate for lawn mowing, painting or making dinners. Its so much more special than anything someone could just buy.
This is so true, Joshua. Thank you for sharing 🎉
After many years of turning down my spending volume, my sons (age 22 and 23) have decided to go all in for a No Buy Christmas this year.
They are so cool, and I am very proud of them ❤
We will focus on being together with our family, instead of spending money on stuff!!
Happy Holiday 🎄
You've been a wonderful influence!
My Hubby & I decided to only do gifts for our college-aged nieces & nephew & younger. No adults except our parents will get a gift with the exception of a few church staff. Our house is paid off & we've almost pd off our car. We want to save more $ so we can have financial freedom. This next yr is our 25th anniversary & we'd like to take a nice trip & enjoy being totally debt free. 😊
Great message and so timely! We’ve stopped buying gifts for the most part. I am planning cookie baking days with each grandchild. This will include hot chocolate and playing cards. I enjoy listening to records and my adult kids love this so we’ll be enjoying visits with a vintage activity. Also we will be helping cook and serve a community Christmas meal. There real are so many ways to celebrate special times without spending anything. Thanks for thoughtful message.
That's a wonderful way to spend the holidays!
I love that one on one time with my children and grandchildren. I used to take each of my 3 children for a Christmas shopping time and a meal out. They liked that😊☃️🌟🍪☕️
I hate black Friday. I hate crowds. A dangerous day as well.
Not shopping. It’s funny, my entire extended family feels so bad that my husband doesn’t “shop” for me. I have never had an issue with it. I will buy what I want and what I will use.
Have a great holiday and keep inspiring!
And, you can always jokingly thank each other for the purchase you make for yourselves.
Totally understand, this is how my husband and I do things as well
I ignore black Friday and no Christmas gifts for adults in the family this year by agreement. We're keeping it simple for the holiday season. Thanks for your message
Wow I’m glad I’m not in your family 😢 no gifts ? That would be boring and depressing
Required field trip for all school kids - a visit to the local landfill, to see where most of this stuff ends up eventually. It doesn't bring happiness or joy for more than a short time
I’m days long ago, people used to get things they needed and waited all year long for. Now we get what we want, when we want, no matter the cost(financial or time).
Not me. Won't buy a thing but food. About time we get over this absurdity. If people were honest with kids, instead of indoctrination to materialism, there wouldn't be trillions of debt. Get away from consumerism, live life genuinely and simply.
Your message is so good and greatly needed these days. We are wasting so much time and so much energy… We do not need all the stuff. We do not need all the stuff. We do need not need all the stuff!!!! We need healthy relationships, and these take time and effort. Let’s get to it.❤
Continue your videos, we all need to listen to your words. It is a gift
I listened to this last year, several times. It "sobered up" my holiday spending. I am relistening to it this year, for the same reason!
I wasted so much time & money on crazy deals that is just adding stuff in my closet that I rarely used! Thanks for this video!
I finally clear my debts this January. Its been a hard slog but I've got there. Taught both my boys about finances as soon as they started working. They now put money into a savings account as soon as they get paid
No spend holidays for me, that’s my gift to myself. I’m giving my voice to my friends and love ones with thank you messages and how much I appreciate them.
My husband and I have long given up on shopping for Christmas and birthdays. We were giving gift cards, but with the starting price of the gift cards ($2.95 to $5.95) we no longer do that. We just give the much needed cash to every one. Years ago we asked them all if they would rather have cash or a gift. Every one unanimously opted for the cash. We don't stand on tradition here, instead we stand on practicality. Btw, I love your channel.
Cash is the best - I've never understood why people buy gift cards when cash comes from the bank at no extra charge!!
Isn’t simplicity wonderful? The giving of time is a joy. And that gift will never wind up in some landfill in the middle of farmland somewhere.
My adult kids are having their first simplified Christmas. They were very understanding about our decision.
Here only kids get gifts and not a crazy amount for an even crazier amount of money. No gift hunting for adults in our family and it is just great, but when our kids were born, we made it a habit to make a photobook in december about the year. And since our parents loved to look through it, it became a tradition that we gift the grandparents und greatgrandparents a reduced version for Christmas and they love it so so much.
Amazing message! I’m so glad I’m listening to this before I sit at the computer today to do online Black Friday shopping. it feels that everything you are teaching, I intuitively already know. But to have someone verbalize publicly that Christmas can be done differently, is liberating.
Thanks, Joshua!
We've loved giving experiences to family...lunch or dinner at a special place, or a traveling special exhibit, art museum, concert or ballgames, the ballet, movies. The time is always a treasure. Sometimes I like to give "family night" type gifts like a fun game, popcorn & treats so families have a fun time together...always popular!!! We have a Christmas Club/Budget...so we plan ahead and stay away from credit card debt. My parents did the same thing with their nieces and nephews...a day at the waterpark, an amusement park, etc. My cousins SO looked forward to getting a special envelope with what they had planned at Christmas. 😊 My cousins are in their 40's now and still talk about their day trips with them!
Thankful for parents who taught me how to budget and that life is about people not stuff.🍂🥧🍁
Buy concert tickets! Especially local musicians. Please support the arts.
Im a senior and have old small appliances, and black Friday is good to replace older ones that dont work as well as newer useful ones. I mean, I don't like to spend money, but how long can you hang on to a useless blender? That is so noisy and doesn't do the job. Or how long can you hang on to an old hand mixer? That's ready to fall apart just because you're from the old school and have a welfare mentality.. My father used to be so cheap that he would take nails. That were still good, but we're bent and put them on a vice and hammer them until they were straight. Good thing he didn't have many. But if he bent one, he picked it up, and immediately, he'd straightened it out and then used it. That's what I called tight. He would take all the appliances from the dumpster. Because people didn't want it because of the color or something. Minor was wrong with it, and he would put it back on his pickup truck and bring it home. Fix it and then make fifty bucks in the sixties. But sometimes it's nice to have something new for yourself when you're a senior. Especially if you were raised with parents who didn't throw out anything at all!!
I'll tell you my dad was born 1906 mom 1930.
And i'm not even seventy years old yet.😅😅
So that gives you an idea of what generation Mindsets I went through. It was always just in case. So there were always two or three of something. And every time we moved, which was once a year because dad would build a house.
Live in it and build another house so he would save all the taxes. But he would have to drag all that into the next home that he built. So I deserve something new.
And I used to feel guilty for buying something for myself. And I think it was because of my dad's strong religious religious upbringing. You know the one that teaches you if you're bad. You'll go to hell, and if you good. You'll go to heaven and if you're not so good you'll go to purgatory.😅
So, with that strong teaching enforced in me. At an early age. I wasn't even allowed to have many material things. Because it was being materialistic. It was a sign of greed or whatever and that I had to get away from.
I've changed religion since then. And I still believe in what the Bible says about not being materialistic and putting God first. But there's nothing wrong with having nice things. As long as you don't get into debt and it ruins your spirituality. Being balanced is the most important thing in life.
So with that said, I went and bought a nice new hand mixer 75 percent off. What do you think of those apples. And I love myself enough that I'm not going to return it and say I have to deny myself. Of nice things. And it's a lot more quieter than the old one. I've had for fifteen years and it doesn't rattle like the old one. And this one has a five year warranty. Hopefully I will hopefully I'll live long enough to use it all the time 😅
Would someone please forward this to all the men and women in Washington. They need to set an example for everyone. We need to vote out the ones who don't
Agree!!!!!
Thanks for sharing! Love all the wisdom, tips and ideas. My go-to money mindset ideas are writing down my needs vs wants, wait before big purchases, pay with cash only, track spending and always have a budget.
Thank you LORD, for leading me to Joshua’s channel🙏💕. Thank you for surviving covid a few years ago but most importantly I am deeply grateful LORD, for teaching me through the above mentioned, how to be really mindful in making every life decision🙏💕. I am chosing and purchasing carefully. My paying of bank loans has become a priority👍😁🙃. Although I do buy Christmas gifts for my close family and friends , but I try to buy a really well-thought ones💕. Very warm greetings from Poland❄️😉
Great advice and suggestions! We’re not a big gift giving family, and when we gift something it is for something we know the person wants (because they vocalize it or provide a wish list) or an experience of some kind.
💜
Your sooo right…the best gift is your TIME because it is priceless [You can’t purchase it]. NO ONE can live their life backwards IT MUST always BE LIVED FORWARDS
Beautiful and important message, Joshua! I can't believe that the debt in the US is that high! I don't know the debt here in Germany,but I think it is getting more and more. And this black friday thing is expanding here also. It is frustrating to see, how the streets are full of hundreds of cars all driving to a big shopping mall. Not to mention what is happening also with online shopping. I don' t understand this. So much people are claiming that prices are increasing and the inflation rate is high but on the other hand there are all these people who are spending so much money on the - I think mostly fake sale prices- of black friday.....
Great message and totally agree with the ending too . We are out of debt long ago, but due to our circumstances we need to watch it. Did not spend a cent this Black Friday, and I am still alive 😀. For our immediate family we give them some small they need and its only 7 of us. For the extended family gathering we do Kris Kringle for about $15-20 (one present 👍) We have to accept that there will always be some family members who will never be happy with what food they eat, or what presents they get at Christmas time. But we cannot worry about them- because they have not decided to step into the journey of how to be content and be grateful for what they have yet. But most do understand and appreciate simplicity .
This is very true and the older you get the more you realize it. At least it’s been the case for me. Great video and it’s never been about the gifts. the true gift is family and friends and being together. Not everyone else is so fortunate. Keep up the great vids. A new subscriber and fan!
Thank you for this message
Thank you for this, and I wish more were talking about this... We spend way to much in this country, spending what people don't have... and it's putting people more and more into debt... wish more realized that.. I've been telling my remaining family (it's shrinking unfortunately) that I really don't want any gifts, stuff that will clutter, stuff I don't need/want.. and cutting back has helped with being debt free now here..
I like to spend the day writing the few Christmas cards I send. Never shopping.
With the goal of paying off my mortgage as soon as I can, I do not shop at all on Black Friday, Christmas, and Boxing Day. 🇨🇦
Fantastic and spot on breakdown of the "black Friday" gimmick to secrete some ephemeral dopamine.
As I am now older, I have stopped buying fancy Christmas cards, fancy decorations, and ostentatious gifts...at the end of the day, it is all about being together and having a great experience to carry with you!
best video yet. So true. Want my kids to see this.
Perfect Advice My Friend !❤
We don't have the traditional Thanksgiving in Germany, yet, the companies have Black-Friday-Sales ...
I'm 74, been married 51 years. I have never shopped on Black Friday, or gone into debt over holiday season. When our kids, now 49,47, and 42, were kids they
got homemade gifts, and one store bought toy. Grandparents each bought one big gift. Our grandchildren each get one big gift, kids get checks.
Little kids don't care about $$ amounts. They'll unwrap a new cape for an old action figure or a new handmade coat for Barbie with the same smile. Trust me.
Tina, Al's wife
We have always given our children 3 gifts each. Just like Jesus received 3 gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh. We also go through gift catalogs like Good Samaritan or World Vision and pick out chickens or rabbits etc. to buy Jesus a "Christmas gift". The kids love knowing that a family in need will be blessed with the cute farm animals.
I decided to just do the regular periodic stockups just to see if it would be a better sale than other times. Lol. (Pet supplies in bulk-such as 50 lb bag of chick feed and 40 lbs pine pellets for cat litter). Checking on cat food deals etc. I think I saved a few bucks overall but it’s interesting to note that even on Black Friday, it wasn’t much better than other sales they put on. So in that way I could look around and investigate, scratch the BF itch and still not get so caught up in the frenzy this time of year. Lol. But then again I’m not in debt either and I haven’t gone crazy with Christmas gifts in quite awhile.
Excellent message Joshua! Thank you so much for sharing. Bless you.
Wonderful message. ❤
Happy holidays to you and your family.
Definitely a wish list person especially with a December birthday. Also set a price limit of $100. Really makes you think. I've often finished my xmas shopping by September. Never been in debt because of the holidays.
You say it all so well.
Thank you for these words ❤
So needed to hear this today ❤
Clutter may be stressful, but not near as much as having debt!!
I have 3 adult sons. I give them each money. They very much like that gift 😂.
My golden rule is to ALWAYS have a shopping list. I use Black Friday to purchase things I was already planning on getting, but at a lower cost. If it's not on the list, it doesn't get bought!
I also set a budget for everything, including Christmas - if something takes us over budget, then it doesn't happen. It doesn't just mean I avoid going into debt, it also means I'm less stressed because I'm not shopping so much and I don't have to store/look after a load of stuff I don't need!
If you are short on money this year give the gift of service - think how special it would be for elderly relatives if you promised to do something for them that they find difficult, so many things that could be done depending on the situation - like offering to come by once a month for the next year and do a few hours of deep cleaning, mowing the grass, some minor house repairs, the list is endless. The same type of "service" gift could be offered for teenagers or older children - think how special it would be if you gave them a few "travel vouchers" where you offered to drive them somewhere they wanted to go, you could always put limits on that, but kids are always wanting to "go" somewhere! There are tons of things you can do for people as a service gift that cost very little, maybe some time but very little money. Just make sure you follow through.
Perfeito vídeo Joshua!
Abraços!
Materialism has always been a huge part of my family. It absolutely disgusts me.
The best gift you can give is to be debt less like you said. If you can't help yourself than give to charity and just enjoy time with loved ones. 😅
I’m in the UK and they go crazy for Black Friday here now too. They’ve been doing Black Friday deals since the start of November and I had so many emails this morning re Black Friday deals! Obviously there’s still a lot of things I need to unsubscribe from!
Thr USA is a very bad influence that way.
Great advice!
We don’t buy gifts anymore. We give our niece and her family a set amount of money to use to do something together as a family. That’s it. I take advantage of the Black Friday sales to get products we use all year like skin care, towels, and other things we need etc at a discount. Our toaster oven broke about a month ago so that got replaced on Friday.
That is exactly how I shop, if I shop at all, on Black Friday - to get the reduced price on everyday products I would have to buy anyway.
Our kids know how to declutter and we did not buy on Black Friday, we bought the things they really want and knew what they would use, my family has a set budget, each to their own, and they do not get presents often
Thank you. I need these reminders.
Thank you!! God Bless You! 🇺🇲
Love this!❤❤❤
It is sad and shocking to learn the amount of debt incurred by Black Friday and Christmas. Even sadder the fact some of these gifts will not be appreciated or returned.
The problem with the kids is that they believe presents make them happy. They want stuff, they are looking forward to getting it. My son said, that if he is not getting expensive presents on Christmas, it will be a great disappointment, because he was waiting for this moment the whole year. My mistake was to let my kids get used to fantastic Christmases and birthdays, with a lot of surprises and insane amounts of money spent. It would have been much better if from the beginning I opted for modest, family celebrations and small gifts
Well then, better start soon opting for modest celebrations and showing that you don’t need expensive gifts to have a great and meaningful celebration.
People please listen to this!
I love this❤
Thank you! ❤
Thank you!!!!
What I do whenever I give someone a gift no matter what time of the year. I always give them a gift card even when it comes to baby showers and that way they can choose. A lot of people are happier that way. Because who wants to return something that they may have already two or three of. And I love giving gift cards for people who love a certain restaurant. Or who love a certain pizza place. I certainly can't bring them a pizza not knowing if they like a SIM crust of fat. Cross a medium crust or whether they like pepperoni or no meat. So that's how I deal with gifts. And I save on wrapping paper and cards which pollute the earth. And i'm not into polluting the earth with plastic and excessive unneeded purchases. We have a wonderforce let's take care of it.❤
I'm giving my nieces heirlooms rather than purchasing gifts.
Excellent Advice!!!
So Insane...we spend money at record rates to make big corporations more WEALTHY so they can raise prices again!
What the heck is wrong with us?????
Amen!
I told my daughter and her husband, please don't spend money on for my birthday or Christmas. They have a new baby boy and lots of expenses. If they want to give me something I rather have some money to help pay some bills.
Does that average household debt include mortgages?
were doing a 2 hour train ride, holiday themed and then lunch. a fidget toy advent calendar and 2 toys. DONE
Josh, while I agree 100% with a lot of what you say, credit card debt is also the result of government policy. We have no living wage. People not paid a living wage resort to credit for necessities. I bet if analyzed, credit card debt would reveal a majority of purchases are necessities. We do not have affordable public housing. Rent is too damn high. Mortgages are becoming unaffordable. We force youth to pay for higher ed. It’s government subsidized in other countries to benefit the country as a whole. Let’s not blame the consumer entirely. Yes individuals have agency. But what if you need to charge that tank of gas, just to get to your job. We assume people are poor by choice, and that is not always true. We live in a society that makes it harder to move ahead. Maybe impossible. You and I grew up in a time where education was affordable. We grew up when rent did not take 50% or better of income. Housing was affordable. You speak to people who are more like us, and less like the generation coping with the reality of today. God bless.
Thanks for the comment. But I disagree that most expenses carried on credit cards are necessities. Those who carry the most credit card debt are those in the 40-64 age bracket-not those who are just starting out-in fact, 18-29 year old carry the least. I also disagree that credit card debt is a result of government policy. It's a result of personal choice. But I appreciate the conversation.
Well said! ❤
Haha I just hoped I may find a shoes for sale, but I could not even find my size. I don't care about Black Friday and wont go crazy crawling over people.
Share experiences - not presents
I spent over 20 years working retail. Fact: retailer's mark up 400% & then mark down 25% 😑 ⚠️ it's stupid!!!
103,000 $$$ in debt. Average?
Deuteronomy 6 : 7
It seems folks want to stay in debt. Capitalism. Someone has to keep it going....just not me.