6 steps to your debt free stress free holiday season · reeta wolfsohn, cmsw 2012 center for...

6 Steps to Your

Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday Season

Workbook – 2012

A Holiday Gift from the Center for Financial Social Work

Reeta Wolfsohn, CMSW 2012 Center for Financial Social Work (fimancialsocialwork.com) 800.707.1002

Financial Social Work

Debt FREE Stress FREE Program

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ……………………………..………………………………...3

Why Choose a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday?.............................4

The 6 Steps………………………………………………………………..5

Overview and Instructions……………………………………………….6



Commitment Form………………………………………………………..9

Gift Expense Form………………………………………………………10

Ancillary Holiday Expense Form……………………………………….11

Holiday Spending Log…………………………………………………..12

Self-assessment Forms…………………………………………………13

Journaling Page………………………………………………………….14

Coping with Financial Stress and Problems…………………………..15

“6 Steps Cards” to Cut Out for Individual Use………………………...16

Financial Social Work is an interactive, introspective behavioral model which helps men

and women to create sustainable, long-term behavior change. Register for our twice

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@FinancialMSW.


INTRODUCTION

Ready or not the holiday season is upon us. It is the time of year when we want to be at

our best but often find we are at our worst. Regardless of our religious beliefs, it is a

time we idealize peace on earth and goodwill toward (wo)men in ways that promote

spending.

Unrealistic expectations can only lead to disappointing outcomes.

This year the Center for Financial Social Work is providing a dynamic approach for

creating a “Debt FREE Stress FREE” (DFSF) Holiday Season.” We are giving you

everything you need including the:

Tools

Forms

Ideas

Information

Support

Motivation

This unique program is available to everyone who feels ready to take control of his/her

personal and financial life in a way that is simple, meaningful and respectful of your

values and beliefs.

It isn’t about sacrifice it’s about opportunity.

It’s about making a choice today that will improve your life forever. There’s never been a better time to begin working toward a more emotionally and financially stable future for yourself because there has never been a comprehensive approach dedicated to your on-going success.

What’s In It for You?


Why Choose a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday Season 2012

All behavior is purposeful. This means there is a reason for the choices you make

and the outcomes you experience in your life. Even though you may find this difficult to

believe, it is the truth. Regardless of how angry, frustrated, disappointed or victimized

you may feel, until you identify what purpose the challenges in your life serve, you will

continue to hold on to them in ways that limit your present and your future life.

This program is not designed to address your broader financial life; it is specifically

created to help you monitor your holiday spending and stress. However, by following

this holiday program you will develop tools, resources, skills and insight you can utilize

personally and financially for the rest of your life.

This program is about more than holiday debt and stress, having a budget or

connecting to the true meaning of the holiday. It is about recognizing why you

want to make changes in your relationship with your money and how willing

you are to do the work necessary to succeed.

The first step in this part of the process is to be clear and to be

connected to the choice you are making and to its purpose. This

is accomplished by completing the following statements.

It’s important to me to have a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday because…

I am making this choice…

Answering the above questions helps you to connect to the “why” of your choice;

completing the commitment form will help you to understand how to be successful at it.


6 Steps to a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday 2012

These six steps work in tandem to provide the information, motivation and support needed to create sustainable financial behavioral change.

Utilizing them will allow you to create a “Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday” this year and facilitate your using them to take control of your money and to gain control of your life forever.


1. Make the COMMITMENT 2. Create your Spending Plan and Log 3. Develop 5 holiday spending policies and

procedures 4. Be Informed 5. Embrace Motivation, Support and Self-care 6. Assess, evaluate, update and recommit daily

Reeta Wolfsohn, CMSW 2012 Center for Financial Social Work

(financialsocialwork.com) 800.707.1002


OVERVIEW and INSTRUCTIONS

This Financial Social Work “6 Steps to Your Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday”

workbook provides you with the information, tools, motivation and insight

needed to avoid spending money you don’t have on gifts you can’t afford this

year and forever after.

The Center is excited to give this gift of opportunity to our FSW community.

We know it can eliminate the anxiety of unpaid bills and the unrelenting cycle of

financial problems, and set you on the path to a better financial future.

This workbook is part of a comprehensive approach to creating a Debt FREE Stress

FREE Holiday which began with an October 24, 2012 webinar of the same name (if you

missed it you can watch the recording on our Financial MSW Facebook page) and

includes access to daily educational and motivational e-mails to keep you focused and

on track for a Debt/Stress FREE Holiday.

This dynamic approach will facilitate a new level of understanding about your

relationship with your money and your financial behavior which will allow you

to continue on the path to a more stable financial future in 2013.

HOW TO USE THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THIS WORKBOOK:

Make the Choice and the Commitment (Form)

Change is a choice and commitment is the method which actualizes this choice.

Without commitment there can be no change because change takes dedication and

effort and commitment is the foundation upon which it is built. The “Commitment

Pledge” is a pro-active tool which provides you with specific actions to take when/if you

experience periods of displaced determination or compromised commitment.

Gift Expense Form

Gift giving is a major holiday expense. For some it is an act

of love and joy; for others the process is more frustrating and

time consuming. Regardless of your feelings about gifting, it

is an expectation of the holiday season, but that doesn’t

mean your gift list is sacrosanct or that it doesn’t need to be

revisited and re-evaluated.

The gift form will reveal whom you plan to gift and how much you plan to spend. It

should help you to identify whether you can reduce the number of people on the list

and/or the amount you will spend on each person’s gift.


Ancillary Holiday Expense Form

It’s very possible all of your other holiday expenses could

actually claim a much larger portion of your spending.

Entertaining, decorations, gift wrap, seasonal cards,

travel, postage, etc., can add up quickly and become

more expensive than your gifting. The “Ancillary Holiday

Expense Form” provides a place to examine, itemize

and assess your ancillary holiday costs and to identify

how and where to reduce or eliminate at least some

of them.

Holiday Spending Log

This important tool will provide you with the ability to know the

details of your holiday spending on a daily basis. This critical

information (how much you’ve spent, how much you have left,

etc., in each category) is foundational to monitoring holiday

spending.

YOUR HOLIDAY SPENDING LOG HELPS YOU CREATE A HOLDAY FILLED WITH MORE SPIRIT THAN SPENDING!

Self-assessment Form

Measuring success and identifying potential challenges is a proactive approach to

success. Knowing which of your actions and behaviors are working and which are not

provides the necessary information for maintaining commitment. Self-assessment is the

gift that keeps on giving because it allows you to always know whether what you are

doing is, or is not, in your best interest.

Be Informed

In the Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday webinar you learned about helpful Apps to

manage your holiday spending, about layaway and about how to remove yourself from

unwanted catalogues, e-mails, phone calls, etc., to help you to reduce impulse

spending. As the holidays grow closer more information on trends and scams will

surface; your commitment may need to be reinforced. That’s why the Center is offering

Financial Social Work “Daily HOLIDAY Survival E-mails” to keep you updated,

motivated, informed, connected and committed to a “Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday.”

Register for FSW “DAILY HOLIDAY SURVIVAL E-MAILS”

[email protected]


Embrace Motivation, Support and Self-care

Changing behavior is a continuous

process which is inevitably improved

by on-going motivation, support and

self-care. This workbook includes a

wonderful journaling page surrounded

by inspiring quotes to help you find

positive topics about which to journal.

It also includes a page on “Coping

with Financial Stress and Problems”

with excellent self-care methods during

the holidays and throughout the year.

Assess, Update and Recommit Daily

Everything in the Financial Social Work “Debt FREE Stress

FREE Holiday 2012” webinar, workbook and “Holiday

Survival E-mail” program is coordinated to simplify the

process and to support participants in maximizing success.

Each step, tool and activity is important. For the most part the steps are progressive;

beginning with step one and then continuing on with step two, etc., will assure the most

progress and continued momentum.

However, this 6th step of “Assessment, Updating

and Recommitting” is the one most foundational

to change; it is where and when change happens,

so make certain it is one you practice each day.

If you are ready to begin the Financial Social Work

Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday Program, your first

step is to make the commitment by completing the

commitment form on the next page.

Make as many copies of the various

forms and the journal page as you need.

Invite your friends, family. colleagues and

clients to download their own copy of this workbook, watch the

recording of the webinar and register

for the Financial Social Work “Daily HOLIDAY

Survival E-mails.”


Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday Commitment- 2012

I am making the commitment to MYSELF to create a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday because (some helpful phrases might include: I feel, I think, I want, I need, I know, I will, I can, etc.) If at any point I find myself doubting, sabotaging or resisting the process (some helpful phrases might include: I will remember, I will think about, I will strive, I will acknowledge, etc.) If others aren’t supportive or encouraging of my efforts I can/will: As a result of my commitment my life will (change, be, have, offer, look, feel, etc.)

One thing I can do today to make my Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday a reality is:

One thing I can do tomorrow to make my Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday a reality is:

One thing I can do every day to make my Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday a reality is:

One more thing I can do every day to make my Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday a reality is:

Among the many ways I will benefit from having a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday:

Place your “Commitment Pledge” where you will see it easily and often. Refer to it when you need to reconnect to

why you’re working hard to have a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday.

Signature Date


Use the following lists to figure your expenses for the coming holiday season beginning with

gifts and then moving on to ancillary costs for cards, wrapping, decorations, entertaining, travel,

etc. The more precise your list the more debt and stress free your holiday will be.

GIFT LIST Cost Estimates

Name

$$ Amount to

spend Possible Gift Options

Alternative

to Gift

Remove

from List


ANCILLARY Cost Estimates

Decorations Gift Wrap/Cards Entertaining Clothing Travel Miscellaneous


12 Holiday Spending Log

Enter the name of the expense and all of the other requested information on each line in the

form below. On the first line, in column 6, deduct the $ amount in column 5 from column 1A.

(Total 2012 Holiday Spending Plan Budget.) In all remaining lines deduct column 5 from the

amount in column 6 on the previous line to always know how much money you have left to spend this holiday.

1 B. Expense name (gift

recipient, item, cards, travel, etc.)

2. Possible

Options/ideas

3. Sizes, colors,

etc. 4. $ Allotted

Amount

5. Actual $

amount spent

6. Remaining $

in 2012 Holiday

Plan

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

$ $

Generosity is wonderful but never at the expense of personal and financial well-being!

A Holiday Spending Log will help you to limit impulse buying and to create a holiday filled with more spirit than spending—an accomplishment truly worth celebrating!

1 A. Total 2012 Holiday Spending Plan $


Financial Social Work Debt FREE Stress FREE Self-assessment Today’s Date

My overall performance today was: 1 2 3 4 5 (1 poor - 5 excellent) What I did best

What/where I can improve

Tomorrow I will

My biggest challenge today was I recommit to a DFSF holiday because

Financial Social Work Debt FREE Stress FREE Self-assessment Today’s Date

My overall performance today was: 1 2 3 4 5 (1 poor - 5 excellent) What I did best

What/where I can improve

Tomorrow I will

My biggest challenge today was I recommit to a DFSF holiday because


Journaling for a Debt FREE Stress FREE Holiday Season 2012


The following steps are designed to help you to cope with the personal and financial challenges of the holiday season in ways that bring joy and hope rather than debt and stress.

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

Remember there is always HOPE.

Identify your spending triggers, so you can avoid them.

Differentiate between your wants and your needs; spend on needs not wants.

Simplify your life. Less is more!

Learn to B-R-E-A-T-H-E! Start by breathing through your nose; allow your

abdomen to move in and out gently with each breath; stay focused on your breathing (when your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breathing.)

RELAX! Take a one minute break from your work or your worries by closing

your eyes, breathing and imagining yourself in a special place (beach, lake, etc.)

Recognize what triggers stress for you mentally and physically and reduce the

opportunity for these triggers. Do less! If you think that’s not realistic or possible, think again. There’s always a way

to reduce your personal and professional workload if you sincerely want to. Prioritize. Not everything can be at the top of your

“To Do” list; not everything belongs there. Do what’s most important first and then work your way down your list.

Plan ahead. The more prepared you are for any situation the less stress it will cause.

Exercise. No time? Try parking further from your job, home or shopping so you get to

walk further. Take the steps rather than the elevator, etc. Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake; you’ll be rewarded with less agitation, better

sleep and improved coping abilities. Don’t smoke. It’s bad for your health the cost contributes to your financial stress and

it’s harmful to your breathing and circulation. Bring joy into your life. You may have major challenges, but that doesn’t mean you

can’t listen to music, read a good book, take in a movie, watch TV, or spend time with friends.

Sleep. It is the only way to replenish your body, your spirit

and your soul. Reach out. If stress is creating physical and/or emotional

problems, contact your doctor or mental health provider.

Denial and avoidance will only increase your problems.

Coping with Personal and Financial Holiday Stress

Who I rally am

keeps surprising me.

Nikki Giovanni

Who I rally am keeps surprising me.

Nikki Giovanni

We don’t see things as they are,

we see things as we are. Anais Nin

We’re all in this together— by ourselves. Lilly Tomlin

We all live in suspense, from day to day, from hour to hour; in other words, we are the hero of our own story. Mary McCarthy

Think wrongly, if you please, but

in all cases think for yourself.

Doris Lessing


Cut out these individual cards and place

them strategically so you are constantly

and consistently reminded of your

commitment to a Debt FREE

Stress FREE Holiday 2012


1. Make the COMMITMENT 2. Create your Spending Plan and Log 3. Develop 5 holiday spending policies and procedures 4. Be Informed 5. Embrace Motivation, Support and Self-care 6. Assess, evaluate, update and recommit daily

Reeta Wolfsohn, CMSW 2012 // Center for Financial Social Work










6 steps to your debt free stress free holiday season · reeta wolfsohn, cmsw 2012 center for...

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