Can you believe it's almost Christmas? I feel like there are still so many things left to do. Luckily, I was able to cross baking cookies for Santa off of my to-do list last night. Growing up, we'd make a big batch of Christmas cookies a day or two before Christmas to take to different Christmas gatherings, and we would always save a few to set out for Santa. Santa wasn't the only one who got a treat; we always made sure to leave carrots for the reindeer too! We may have even left carrots for Santa instead of cookies a few years because my mom insisted that Santa was dieting.

This year, I took home a few recipes from the Carolina Trust Employee Cookie Exchange, so that Santa could have a new variety. I'm not going to lie this close to Christmas, I may have snuck a few cookies, but they were specifically for taste testing purposing. I wouldn't want to give Santa a nasty cookie. He would put me on the naughty list for sure!

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.

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.

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.

Say goodbye to the masks and king cakes, and hello to the season of sacrifice, Lent. This week, we celebrated Fat Tuesday and the start of Lent. Fat Tuesday(Mardi Gras) is a long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church, where people overindulge themselves in preparation for Lent, the 40 days of fasting and repentance that lead up to Easter Sunday. 

There's only a week left in 2021, and there's no better way to end the year than by giving back. I know the holiday season can be busy, but I encourage you to make time to volunteer or donate before the year is up.

If you're contemplating a car purchase, you are likely looking for ways to save. After all, spending several thousands of dollars on a vehicle is not something to do without careful thought. One way you can save is through timing your car purchase. By buying your car and getting a car loan at the right time, you can save substantially. Here are the secrets to helping you save through proper timing on your car purchase.

It happens every year, without fail, someone brings me a Christmas gift, and I have nothing to give them in return. So, of course, I'm immediately filled with guilt, make up a story about how I left their gift at home, and run out and buy them something last minute.