As we kick off the month of December, the feeling of Christmas is starting to SHINE all around us. Everyone seems to have an extra GLOW about them; they're practically BEAMING. The excitement from the holiday season always gets to me each year; it's like I hardly know how to CONDUCT myself. There's just so much to do and see, and the idea of missing a single opportunity to celebrate HERTZ my heart.

You may have caught on to all my light puns by this point. With so many fantastic holiday light shows in our area, I figured a round-up blog post would be a BRIGHT idea.

Holiday décor and music are filling department stores, Starbucks and Dunkin have released their holiday drink menus, and some people have already started putting up their trees. Although I'm not quite in the holly jolly spirit yet, I have begun financially planning for the holidays so that my debt doesn't outweigh my cheer. Below are the tips I'm using to keep myself in check as I kick-start my holiday spending.

For a girl like me who's obsessed with pink, there's no better month of the year than October. Not only do I love seeing things transform to my favorite color, but also being able to raise awareness for the important cause that pink stands for, Breast Cancer.

One of the most complex parts of sticking to a budget is breaking unhealthy spending habits and creating new healthy ones. Evaluating your spending and determining which aspects prevent you from sticking to your budget is an excellent place to start.

Check out the BALANCE blog post below for 5 Habits Every Budgeter Should Develop:

Fall is officially here, although it may not seem like it with 80-degree weather and palm trees instead of falling leaves.

Growing up in the mountains of Virginia, the arrival of fall was always seen and felt. It didn't take much to really get into the fall spirit. However, when I moved to the beach, I found that embracing the fall season required more effort on my end.

Since there isn't a major transition in the environment around me to help get me excited about fall, I've relied on the following things to get me in the spirit.

With the start of a new school year right around the corner, it's time to start filling the cart with back-to-school items. If the rows and rows of school supplies at Walmart and Target haven't already sucked you in, then Tax-Free Weekend is the perfect time to grab some of the key items on your list.

I don't know about you, but I feel like summer is easily my biggest spending season of the year. I've finally re-saved money that I spent during the holidays and get the urge to spend it, and boy do I. I spend on new summer clothes, fun outdoor events, travel, and vacation; I'm just a spending machine during the summer months.

If you're like me and are looking to boost your summer stash of cash, check out the BALANCE blog below for a few helpful tips.

There is no better time of year to live at the beach than the summer. I love spending time outside by the ocean or the river and soaking up the UV rays, with sunscreen, of course. 

Summertime has finally arrived at the grand strand, and unfortunately, hurricane season came right along with it. Living near the coast, we are in hurricane season from June 1st to November 30th. Thinking about a potential hurricane can be somewhat stressful. However, being educated and prepared can help relieve a bit of that anxiety. Check out the BALANCE blog post below for tips on how to financially prepare before a natural disaster.

Every March, millions of Americans get sucked into the craze of March Madness. Whether or not they've seen a college basketball game all season, there's something about building a bracket, tuning in to watch their teams play, and bragging rights when they anticipate a major upset that has so many people hooked.

Although the two have little in common, except that a bit of luck can make you rich (or broke), there are a few financial lessons that we all can learn from March Madness.