The Rachel Cruze Show - The 5 Lists I Make After Christmas (and You Should Too!)

Starting point is 00:00:05 Right, if you've watched even a minute of my content, you know that I love a list. And money in life can be really complex, so boiling it down to the simple basics is really important. So today, here are five lists that I make after Christmas to start the new year strong. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend. List number one, the return list. Mm-hmm. I know you don't keep every gift that you're given and or your kids. Yes. So you do not want to miss the return list. turn window because that means that gift is going to just sit in the back seat of your car. So make a list, gather those receipts and just know, okay, I got to take this back,

Starting point is 00:00:43 maybe get a different size here. The kids got duplicates of this because of that grandparent grandparents. We're going to give this one and like, make the list and have the items somewhere like in a closet or something that's all right there so you can get that money back or do the exchange that you need. Number two is a gratitude list. So start practicing gratitude. If you have not put this into your life, do it. I'm good at the this different seasons, I'll be honest. Sometimes I'm really good at it. Sometimes I fall off the wagon. But there is something, and studies have shown this, that when you start your day with gratitude, something literally chemically changes in your body and in your brain. Like there is something

Starting point is 00:01:19 so powerful about knowing, hey, there are things in my life that I'm grateful for. And even if you're in a hard season, searching for that gratitude is not just a band-aid to make you feel better, but it is a way to turn our focus and our perspective in life. And I talk about contempt. a lot. But contentment is so powerful. And I think one of the steps to actually get to that is gratitude. So start that list. Maybe it's three things that you're grateful for. I don't care what it is, but being aware of gratitude and actually listing it out. It could be on your phone or just in a journal or something. Start that habit. Number three, a no list for next year. We've just got like out of the crazy season, right? And so look back and be like, hey, I didn't like that. I didn't like

Starting point is 00:02:03 that Christmas tree that I bought and it was terrible to put up and I yelled at everyone. I didn't like that. I didn't like that party that we went to for the fifth time. But every year it comes around, I kind of forget how much I didn't like it. Like write that down. Like write down the things that you were like, no, I don't want to do that again next season. And it's fresh on your mind, right? So just remember all the frustration and anger you've had throughout the season and write it down because maybe you can't get around it, right? Maybe it is what it is. And it's just like that is a part of life. Not everything. in life is going to be wonderful. It's just not. But if you are able to control a certain thing here and there, maybe put up a boundary here or there to have a more enjoyable Christmas next season,

Starting point is 00:02:43 do it. But write it down while it's fresh. All right, before we continue on, I do want to tell you about one of our amazing sponsors, Christian Healthcare Ministries. So it's open enrollment time for health insurance, and if health care costs are stressing you out, you are not alone. Christian Health Care Ministries is a biblical and budget-friendly alternative to insurance, and I'm proud to recommend them. With CHM, you choose your provider, submit eligible bills online, and other believers help share the cost. Members have shared over $12 billion in health care costs since CHM started almost 45 years ago. CHM is simple, affordable, and you can join any time, not just during open enrollment. So go to CHministries.org slash budget to learn more. That's chministries.org

Starting point is 00:03:30 slash budget. All right, number four is the habits list. So think around, you know, your goals, things you want to do next year, so whether it's money, relationships, careers, spiritual, like, whatever it is, get clear about this, get intentional, and actually start to blend your life in the direction you want to go. So sometimes, like, setting, like, hardcore goals, like sometimes you kind of fall off the bandwagon. But just think holistically, like next year, 2026, what do I want, what do I want these areas of my life to be? Like, how do I want to start shaping my life and what are some habits to put in place? So jot those down, like write them down. There's something powerful about putting something down and writing and seeing it visually. That's really important.

Starting point is 00:04:12 All right, number five is the January budget. Yeah, this is a list, a list of all your expenses and your income and you're giving and your saving. You guys, budgeting. There's no better time to start than the new year. So I want you to look at January and say, okay, what are we going to make? what's the household going to bring in income-wise for this month? Here are all the expenses that we have. I want some giving up there if you have any savings goals and then everything else you spend money on, which can probably be a lot. It's going to be a long list. But what is so powerful about this is knowing where your money's going, putting a dollar amount next to each of those categories. And there's something about it that's so powerful. Now, if you have been budgeting,

Starting point is 00:04:52 maybe go back and look at even the past couple of months and just say, hey, maybe maybe like these categories are out of control, maybe we need to change these up, or we weren't great in this area, or maybe you fell off the bandwagon completely and you've got to get back on. Whatever it is, the list of the budget is so crucial. Now, I love and use Every Dollar. It's a budgeting app that helps your budget, but now, more than ever, it is more than that. The all new Every Dollar is here, so I'm going to put a link down below for you to get started today for free to help you not just budget, but to get in control of your money. And to walk through the budgeting process for you, you can check out the episode, Create Your First Budget and Five Simple Steps. You can click

Starting point is 00:05:33 right here to watch that, or if you're listening on podcasts, I will leave a link below. All right, you guys, remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.

The Rachel Cruze Show - The 5 Lists I Make *After* Christmas (and You Should Too!)

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The Rachel Cruze Show - The 5 Lists I Make After Christmas (and You Should Too!)