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Sticking to your Holiday Budget

Your Moment of Trust

Release Date: 01/01/2024

Wrong Number Text Scams show art Wrong Number Text Scams

Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties:   A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara for Supporting this Podcast! Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! A new text message scam seems so innocent that it’s tempting to reply. But con artists are using phony “wrong number” texts to lure victims into conversation and falling for a scam. How the scam works You receive a text that reads something like this: “Hey is this John? It’s Amanda. We chatted on Tinder before when I came to visit my cousin but we never met irl. I’m back in town if you want...

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Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: http       A BIG thank you to in Santa Barbara   Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! The end of the year is a time to show appreciation for those who provide necessary services and little luxuries in your daily life. But this year, the increased cost of goods and services means you may need to pay extra attention to your tipping budget. Even if you are limited in what you can give, there’s no need to feel uncomfortable. A little extra thoughtfulness can go a long way. Determining who to tip and how...

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Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties:  https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-the-tri-counties A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair for supporting this podcast! https://www.ayersrepairs.com Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Even with inflation worries this holiday season, most pet owners still plan on spoiling their fur babies with holiday gifts. According to a poll by Chewy in 2022 (Chewy is a BBB Accredited Business), more than 90% of pet owners include their pets on their holiday shopping list, and another study shows that giving to pets makes people happy....

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Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties     A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair for supporting this podcast. https://www.ayersrepairs.com Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Supply chain problems, shipping delays, and inflation can make it even tougher to create and stick to a budget during the holidays. This meansthat planning ahead and knowing your sp ending limits are more important than ever. How can you build a holiday budget that will cover buying for everyone on your list while keeping you out of debt? BBB recommends the following steps for...

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Your Moment of Trust

Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, Watch out for fakes. Scammers know that authentic game-used and/or autographed items can fetch big bucks – especially for items commemorating big games. When shopping online, it can be hard to trust that a seller or product is genuine. Follow these tips when buying sports memorabilia: “Game-used” items are highly sought after. Buyers prize items that saw action on the court or field as valuable parts of sports history. Consumers should be aware that there is a...

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Your Moment of Trust

Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! National experts are predicting an increase in spending this holiday season. There is also a concern if many of the items on consumers' holiday lists will be available on the shelf or online and are faced with the disappointing words: “Sorry, this item is currently out of stock.” That’s especially true when there are challenges with supply chains. But does that mean the words “out of stock” are the end of the line? Not at all. With a little determination and some creative thinking, the item might be found and purchased....

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Your Moment of Trust

A podcast by   A BIG thank you to in Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast!   Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! You’ve likely heard ads on the TV or radio about the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit for U.S. military veterans and their families exposed to tainted water at the camp. Marketing agencies and law firms spent over $40 million advertising the lawsuit. Now, scammers are jumping on board too, hoping all the media attention makes it easier to trick people, especially military personnel, into falling for common scam tactics. How the scam...

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Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by   A BIG Thank you to for Supporting this Podcast Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Retailers and shippers traditionally hire seasonal workers to fulfill holiday shoppers' demands, whether online or in person. These jobs are a great way to make extra money, sometimes with the possibility of turning into a long-term employment opportunity. However, they are sometimes not all that they seem. When looking for something part-time or to fill the gap until a better opportunity comes, the Better Business Bureau has some suggestions to make the seasonal job...

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Your Moment of Trust

A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties:  A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair in Santa Barbara, for supporting this podcast. Welcome to this week's edition of Your Moment of Trust! Zombie debt is defined as debt that has been “raised from the dead,” so to speak. It could even be something you never owed at all.  When a person doesn’t pay a debt, the lender will take action – by phone, letter, or even a court case – to collect the money they are owed. In some cases, though, the debtor simply can’t pay or can’t be found. In other cases, the debtor files...

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Your Moment of Trust

This Podcast is Brought to you by A BIG thank you to of Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast!   Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! One of scammers' favorite tactics is impersonating a person or organization you know and trust. That's the premise of this new text message scam, which has been popping up in recent BBB Scam Tracker reports. This time, con artists are impersonating your bank. How the scam works You receive a text message that looks like a fraud alert from your bank. It claims there is some unusual activity in your...

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A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties  https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-the-tri-counties  

A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair for supporting this podcast. https://www.ayersrepairs.com

Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Supply chain problems, shipping delays, and inflation can make it even tougher to create and stick to a budget during the holidays. This meansthat planning ahead and knowing your sp ending limits are more important than ever. How can you build a holiday budget that will cover buying for everyone on your list while keeping you out of debt? BBB recommends the following steps for calculating your seasonal budget and sticking to it.

How to make and stick to a holiday budget

● Calculate your debt. Before planning gifts and parties, take a look at how much
you owe. Pay close attention to any debt that incurs interest. If you have more
debt than you can pay off before the holidays, then you'll want to keep spending
to a bare minimum. Remember, there are plenty of inexpensive and even free
ways to show friends and family how much you love them during the holiday
season.
● Project your income and expenses. Next, calculate how much money you will
earn this holiday season. Review your income from the past three months to
calculate an average monthly income. Now, you know how much money you
have. Before you start setting aside money for holiday fun, make a list of any
regular expenses you need to address. These might include utility bills,
groceries, gas, and rent or mortgage payments. Don't forget about any annual
fees that might come up around the new year, like HOA fees or your car
registration. Subtract these necessities from your monthly income. Add any
savings you've set aside for the holidays, and decide how much you can spend.

● Set up a separate holiday budget. Next, make a list of holiday expenses you
plan to incur. Include all holiday-related expenses but divide them into categories:
travel costs, holiday parties, decorations, cards, gifts, clothes, professional
photos, gift wrap, etc. Add up the cost of each item and subtract it from your
holiday budget amount. If you have leftover funds, great! If you are over budget,
consider what items you want to prioritize and what items you can modify or cut
from your list. For example, your budget might not allow you to host a 50-guest
holiday bash for the whole block, but you may be able to afford an intimate family
holiday dinner instead.
● Create a gift list. A detailed shopping list can be a huge help when working with
a specific holiday budget. Write down each individual you plan to buy a gift for preparation will help you do your research and find better deals when purchasing
their gift.
● Keep track of your spending. This is one of the most essential tips on this list.
By tracking your spending, you'll always know how much you have left to spend,
when it is okay to splurge on an item, and when you're approaching your budget
limit. Tracking your spending will keep you from making unwise purchases on a
whim and help you avoid taking on unnecessary debt.
● Plan for inflation. Inflation can affect both your gift-giving plans and your daily
expenses. Be sure to factor rising prices into your regular budget for items like
groceries and gas. When working on your holiday budget, it's important to know
that some gifts will cost more than last year, and they may never go on sale
thanks to supply chain delays. Always do a price comparison before you buy a
product, and don't be afraid to scale back on gift-giving this year if you need to.
● Take advantage of sales, rewards, and cash-back offers. Take advantage of
Black Friday deals, Small Business Saturday sales and Cyber Monday offers. If
you are part of a rewards or loyalty program that offers special discounts or
cash-back rewards, save money by using these promos to purchase gifts and
decorations.
● Bundle your shipping. Free shipping may not be as common as last year, so
double-check the store's shipping policies before you click the checkout button.
In some cases, you may be able to get multiple gifts in a single purchase so you
can reach the minimum dollar amount and qualify for free shipping.
● Avoid panic buying. Whatever you do, don't panic buy. Yes, many items will be
in limited supply, but there are still many items you can purchase as gifts. It's
never a good idea to pay more for an item than what it's worth just because it's in
short supply. In fact, that's how many people fall victim to hot toy scams and
counterfeit product scams each year.
● Consider alternative ways to gift. If your budget doesn't allow you to buy the
extravagant gifts you once did, there are still ways to practice meaningful giving
this holiday season. If you are creative, handmade gifts can mean the world to
your friends and family. Is there a new mom or an older person on your gift list?
Consider giving them a gift of service by offering to prepare dinner or clean their situation. Some families cut down on gift-giving by doing a Secret Santa
exchange with a set spending limit.

Until next time!