4 Budget Commitments for Finding Financial Peace This Holiday Season. #FinancialPeace

I used to be what some might call a shopaholic. I loved shopping for something, anything, new. It felt good to have that new pair of shoes, or that perfect pair of jeans. I was driven to find a great deal. If I had a bad day at work, I'd go for a little "retail therapy". If there was a "great sale" somewhere, I'd go buy something just to know that I "saved money." I never bought full price, and always made my way to clearance racks first, but still I spent more than I even had.

As a young married couple, we didn't have much money, so I used "creative financing". "Creative financing" meant I knew what bills I could pay late, and exactly how much time the utility companies would give me to pay before shutting off the power, water, etc... Sure, it meant I had to pay late fees, but it was all worth it to be able to go shopping "now". After all, I needed that new pair of jeans, and I had to have shoes in that color to match my new top.



This "creative financing" worked great until hubby got laid off. Then suddenly, I was moving bills around just to put food on the table. The more bills I paid late, the deeper in debt we got, and the more stressed our life became. It wasn't long before we realized that the only way out of this hole was bankruptcy and, when a structured bankruptcy became too much for us to manage, we made the gut wrenching decision to give up our house in foreclosure. It was the only sensible thing to do, and really, the only thing to do. We had to start over!

It has been 4 years since our bankruptcy was finalized, and we are determined to never go through that again. I want to find financial peace, and the best way to do this is by sticking to a reasonable budget. It's not always easy to do because I still love shopping, and the thrill of finding a great deal. It's especially hard during the holiday shopping season, but I know that I will ultimately save more money by not paying late fees, and by sticking to my budget.

Here's my 4 budget commitments for finding financial peace at the holidays:

1. I will still shop for a great bargain, but I won't buy just for the bargain.
2. I will set a budget on how much we can spend for the holidays, and create a plan for the best way to spend it. When we've bought the items we planned, the shopping is done.
3. If I find a great deal on a gift item, this doesn't mean I have more to spend on that person, it means I get to put the money saved in to savings.
4. If we get all of our holiday items early, this doesn't mean more time to shop, it means more time for other things like spending time with family, not spending money.

It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and lose sight of the goals we've set to help us achieve financial peace of mind. This holiday, to encourage consumers to stay on track with their finances, Capital One 360 is decking the halls with deals you can bank on, including new account bonuses, referral bonuses and closing cost credits. I encourage you to check out Capital One 360 and give yourself a gift of financial peace. 

Product	Offer	Details
ShareBuilder	Up to $1,250 bonus (tiered offer)	·         Must be a new ShareBuilder customer
Home Loans	$1,250 off closing costs	·         Must sign up for the loan during the sale period
360 Checking	$100 bonus	·         Must make a $500 minimum initial deposit and make five transactions ·         Must be new to 360 Checking
360 Savings	$100 bonus	·         Must make a $1,000 minimum initial deposit ·         Must be new to 360 Savings
Refer a Friend	$40 bonus per successful referral	·         For someone to receive the referral bonus, they must be a current customer ·         Their friend must meet the minimum initial deposit requirements ·         Applies to all accounts

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.