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A credit card for your kid? Before you completely write the idea off, consider that there are legitimate reasons to consider giving your kid plastic. Getting your child a credit card for kids can help make your little one a savvy spender. By empowering them with the skill of financial literacy from an early age, they could be set up for a much more stable future, which could benefit both them and you.
But wait, can kids even get credit cards? They can with your help. That’s why it’s important for you to be knowledgeable about the options for credit cards for kids and how you can guide them to develop good habits and responsible credit management.
If you’re still hesitant about the idea of kids’ credit cards (we can’t blame you), we recommend reading this post to learn more about why you might reconsider and how to go about getting one. You can also use the links below to navigate to the section you need:
Benefits of Kids Having Credit Cards
While it might seem like credit cards for kids are a major risk, the benefits often far outweigh them. That’s because with careful supervision, you can help set your child up for a better financial future. Let’s review some of the main benefits of giving your child a credit card.
Help Them Build Credit
Many young adults find themselves unable to qualify for their own credit cards because they have no credit history. However, you can prevent this from becoming an issue for your child if you help them build their credit early on—that’s where kids’ credit cards come in.
Establishing a credit line for them when they’re younger increases length of credit history, which makes up 15% of credit score. With a better credit score, they are more likely to:
Pay less for car insurance premiums
Be approved for an apartment or house rentals
Have an easier time qualifying for student loans or a car loan
Get lower interest rates
Avoid security deposits on cell phones or utilities
Teach Them Good Habits
For many people, getting a credit card can open a door to a lot of temptation, as it gives them access to more money. However, if your child has become accustomed early to good habits when it comes to credit card usage, they may be less likely to fall victim to the potential pitfalls of owning a credit card.
Teaching your child best practices for paying off credit cards, maintaining their balance, and monitoring their credit score are invaluable skills.
Help Them Avoid Overspending
The average American household has $8,398 in credit card debt, according to Debt.org. And with the average credit card interest rate at over 16%, borrowing money doesn’t come cheap. Many credit card holders fall into a pattern of overspending with what they may consider “free money”—sometimes it can feel like that when you don’t have to pay for it right away. Whether it’s retail therapy shopping spree, a spontaneous luxury vacation, or putting a big purchase on the card, many people have every intention of paying it back with their next paycheck, but too often that’s not the case.
While giving your child a credit card is scary, letting them dive into credit unsupervised is even scarier. Teaching kids about money and helping them understand the consequences of overspending on their credit cards can help them avoid the all-too-common fate of ending up in a never ending pit of credit card debt.
Emergency Preparedness
While it might seem hard to imagine what kind of financial emergency your kid could run into, there are actually a variety of situations when having a credit card could help your kid. You never know what kinds of scenarios could arise when they’re on vacation with their friends’ family, on a school trip, or even on their way home from school.
While it’s fairly unlikely that emergency situations will arise, you both will be better off if your child has a back-up plan to get themselves out of a sticky situation. As long as you are both on the same page about what constitutes an emergency, having access to credit card funds could provide both of you peace of mind. Just make sure you lay some ground rules when teaching your child about appropriate credit card usage.
Show Your Child You Trust Them
One of the most overlooked benefits of getting your child a credit card is showing them that you trust them with this responsibility. Your trust in them can help them build confidence in their decision-making capabilities and empower them to be financially responsible, both of which will benefit them well into the future.
How to Get Credit Cards for Kids
You may be wondering, how can a minor get a credit card? They’ll need your help, but it’s fairly straightforward. Here is what you need to do:
Research whether your credit card provider allows you to add your child as an authorized user on your credit card. Some of your options may include:
Adding them as an authorized user: It’s still your account and your responsibility to pay the balance, but as an authorized user your kid can make charges on your card. Be specific about what items you are allowing them to charge and remove them if they prove they cannot handle the responsibility.
Giving them a secured credit card: Put $500 in a bank account to secure the credit limit, then if the bill doesn’t get paid, the bank uses the deposit to cover it. Make sure the issuer reports the payments to the three major bureaus, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.
Co-signing on your kid’s credit card: At 21, your grown child may be eligible for a credit card as long as you sign off on it (or if they can show a stable source of income). Co-signing on a credit card can help them secure a better interest rate. But think twice before you put your own credit history on the line, because you are legally both on the hook to pay it off.
If they do have kids’ credit cards, complete your lender or bank’s process for adding them as an authorized user. If they do not, then you will need to look at other banks or credit card companies that do.
Set up the parameters for the card—spending limits, tracking alerts, blocked purchases, etc.
Your child will then be issued their credit card, which will need to be activated.
Keep in mind that not all companies offer credit cards for minors under 18 or allowed for authorized users, in fact most have age requirements, so you may need to research your options to find a credit card issuer that works for you.
Best Credit Cards for Children
Here are credit and debit cards for kids that can be a good starting point for teaching your child about financial management:
Gas card: Credit cards for gas stations are a way to give your child an opportunity to learn about and building credit, without the temptation of spending on unnecessary things. Gas cards make great starter credit cards for students who need to drive to high school and college.
Prepaid debit or credit cards:This type of card won’t build credit, but the upside is that a child as young as 13 can typically get one. Keep in mind that there may be maintenance fees on these types of cards.
Card with a low limit: A low limit credit card can help prevent spending from getting out of control; these cards usually have limits of about $250-$500.
Emergency credit card: Stipulating that the card is only to be used for emergencies is one way to teach your child about credit, without giving them free range. A useful emergency credit card should have a higher balance, but be carefully monitored to prevent abuse of their privileges.
If your child isn’t quite ready for a credit card, set them up with a debit card before graduating to credit. Tie it to their bank account and set up notifications so you can see where your child is charging. If they can’t handle debit, forget about credit for now. The downside is that a debit card does not establish credit history.
How to Help Your Child Manage Their Credit
Set a limit: With tight boundaries that you set, failure may come, but in small doses. Aside from staying out of debt, more and more employers are checking applicants’ credit history, meaning solid credit lessons early on could improve chances of employment down the road.
Review the monthly statement with them:Explain how the card works and when the bill arrives, explain it again. Due date? Check. Payment options check? Check. Interest rate? Check. Grab a calculator and show them what an interest rate is—in real dollars. Talk about what happens if you don’t pay off the balance in full and make a rule to always do so.
Explain fine print: There many aspects of credit management that are easy to overlook. Make sure to point out the repayment terms, annual fees, late penalties. etc.
Monitor credit: If they have their own credit card, you may want to regularly check their credit score (along with their statement) to ensure there are no issues such as unauthorized spending or errors that need to be disputed.
Comparing credit to cash is one of the most important aspects of teaching kids about managing their credit—emphasizing that it is not free money and needs to be repaid responsibly. USA.gov is also a valuable resource for teaching your child ins and outs of credit cards.
Kids’ Credit Card Pitfalls
Before signing your child up for kids’ credit card, it’s important to consider the risks:
Accumulation of debt: One of the scariest things about allowing your child to have a credit card is that they risk accumulating debt. While it can be dangerous if it gets out of control, the key is supervision, and learning to pay off the full balance on time each month.
Risk of scams and theft: With access to a credit card, your child may be pressured or manipulated into spending or allowing others to spend the funds available. There’s also the risk that the card could get lost or stolen; children are known to forget or lose things frequently. This is where emphasizing caution and responsibility will be essential. You should also read up on child identity theft at Consumer.ftc.gov.
More impulsive tendencies: Children tend to be more impulsive in nature because they haven’t learned as many of the hard lessons about consequences as adults. And depending on their age, their decision-making skills may not have fully developed.
Credit card addiction: Those with addictive personalities, especially when it pertains to shopping, may be more inclined to abuse the convenience of credit cards and form a credit card addiction.
Your credit habits could affect their history: No matter how responsible we try to be, sometimes we make financial missteps or fall on hard times. How your credit history can affect your childs’ is important to keep in mind if they’re an authorized user on your card.
Keeping in mind these kids’ credit card pitfalls, and how to circumvent them, will help you set your child up for success.
Sign Them up for Their First Kids’ Credit Card
Taking the plunge into getting your kids a credit card can be a scary and stressful process, but it doesn’t have to be. By taking it one step at a time, educating your child about credit cards, and closely monitoring their usage, you can make this a positive experience. Once you have a game plan for how you’ll help your child use the credit card, take the initiative and sign them up as soon as they’re eligible.
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Getting Your Kid A Credit Card? This Is What You Need To Know
33,000 Lucky Borrowers May Get Their Mortgage Balances Reduced
Well, it took a lot longer than anticipated, but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have finally unveiled the so-called “Principal Reduction Modification” program for underwater homeowners still struggling to make monthly mortgage payments.
Perhaps most importantly, we know the program will be significantly smaller in scale than related relief initiatives such as HARP and HAMP. Apparently only 33,000 homeowners will be eligible for principal forgiveness under the new program.
For those who are, it will be welcome relief that seemed as if it would never come. I’m surprised myself, I assumed it was never going to happen.
The plan was recently approved by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, and is meant to be the “final crisis-era modification program” released to help borrowers with negative equity.
It is essentially an add-on to the Streamlined Modification program already in existence.
Nearly Five Million Homeowners Were Underwater in 2011
By the end of 2011, some 4.6 million homeowners with a mortgage backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were underwater, according to a speech given by FHFA director Mel Watt at a public policy luncheon in D.C. yesterday.
Most of these borrowers were able to keep up with monthly mortgage payments, but over 580,000 were at least 90 days in arrears, representing about half of all late paying Enterprise (Fannie/Freddie) borrowers at the time.
Fast forward to today and the number of underwater homeowners with an Enterprise loan has plummeted by more than 80% since peaking in 2011. And most of these remaining underwater borrowers happen to be current on their mortgages, with only around nine percent seriously delinquent.
This dwindling number has complicated the launch of a principal reduction plan, per Watt, because a smaller number of candidates might not outweigh the costs “and significant operational complexity” for the FHFA and loan servicers to implement such a program.
But apparently there are still enough at-risk borrowers to go ahead with it, even if it’s only some 33,000 homeowners.
Must Be a Win-Win for Borrowers and Fannie and Freddie
Ultimately, Principal Reduction Modification program is meant to be a “win-win” for both borrowers and Fannie/Freddie.
So if it doesn’t benefit both parties a principal reduction won’t be offered. In order to determine this, lenders will need to do the math to see which option, principal reduction or foreclosure, results in a smaller loss.
If it turns out foreclosure is still the best option in terms of financial loss for the companies involved, they will proceed with foreclosure. But if a principal reduction can reduce losses, it will be offered.
The new program will also be limited to loans with a principal balance of $250,000 or less, and borrowers must be owner-occupants that are at least 90 days behind on the mortgage as of March 1, 2016.
So it appears as if they’re targeting smaller loans as opposed to those in more affluent areas that have already bounced back from the mortgage crisis. And only delinquent borrowers.
Principal Reduction Remains Extremely Controversial
The reason this nuclear option wasn’t offered earlier is due to the controversy involved. Ultimately, the FHFA didn’t want to set a precedent in which borrowers could expect to be bailed out if things didn’t pan out as expected.
This explains why they opted for programs like HAMP and HARP instead, which modified loans using extended loan terms and/or lower mortgage rates.
If they had offered principal reductions back when home prices bottomed, they may have overcompensated homeowners who have since seen their property values rise back to prior levels or even new highs.
It likely would have been too costly back then, while also sending the wrong message to homeowners. And, let’s not forget that taxpayers are on the hook here, seeing that Fannie and Freddie are in government conservatorship, so the decision to forgive has to be an extremely thoughtful one.
Because this program is being launched so late, its impact will likely be muted, but maybe that’s the point.
If your loan is owned by Fannie or Freddie and you’re underwater and behind on your mortgage, keep an eye out for details that might offer you new hope.
Fannie/Freddie Principal Reduction Modification Program
[checklist]
Limited to around 33,000 homeowners
First mortgage must be owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac
Must be underwater on your mortgage
Must be delinquent on your mortgage (90+ days as of March 1, 2016)
Maximum unpaid principal balance of $250,000
Mark-to-market LTV must exceed 115 percent
Principal reduction will be offered only if foreclosure proves more costly
Loans already approved for a short sale/deed-in-lieu not eligible
[/checklist]
How the Principal Reduction Modification Works
You should receive a Streamlined Modification solicitation letter no later than July 15th, 2016 if you are potentially eligible (though the FHFA says loan servicers may still solicit eligible borrowers until December 31st, 2016).
Assuming you qualify, which isn’t a guarantee just because they reach out, a trial modification will begin if you wish to take part. You have to make three timely payments in order to get the principal amount forgiven.
The modification will also reduce your mortgage payment by including an interest rate reduction and loan term extension to 40 years. You will receive principal forbearance that will eventually be converted to forgiveness if you meet the terms of the modification program.
It’s important to note that you must already be 90 days late as of March 1st, 2016. You can’t just default on your mortgage now to gain eligibility.
If you’re attempting to avoid foreclosure immediately, before the Principal Reduction Modification is rolled out, you still have the option of applying for a Streamlined Modification now to halt proceedings and obtain payment relief.
Then once the Principal Reduction Modification program is fully implemented and it is determined you’re eligible for principal relief, it will be granted.
For the record, if you’re not interested in a principal reduction, but still want your payment modified, you have the choice to opt-out once forgiveness is offered.
There may be tax consequences to accepting principal forgiveness and the FHFA says themselves that borrowers “may be able to benefit from the exclusion of forgiven mortgage debt from taxable income.”
It’s unclear if they’re still working on this exemption with the IRS so tread carefully. In the meantime, check your mailbox or reach out to your servicer for details if you want to be proactive.
Let’s say you buy a life insurance policy that has kicked in immediately or after a waiting period, and you meet your unfortunate demise a day, month, or several years later. Will your beneficiaries receive the entire amount? Broadly speaking, yes.
So, how long do you have to have life insurance before it pays out? If you have, say, a 25-year term life policy, then your loved ones are usually covered for 25 years. If you have an active permanent life policy, the entire death benefit is generally in place during your lifetime.
There’s a significant cost difference between term life and permanent life insurance, though. Stay tuned.
Life Insurance Basics
Life insurance is meant to protect a spouse or partner, children, or other family members upon your death. It is intended to replace your income and avoid a large financial loss while paying the costs of a funeral or a memorial service.
When it comes to life insurance plans, there are two main types: term life and permanent life. Both kinds of insurance are sold by the majority of life insurance companies.
No matter which type you have, when you die, your beneficiaries or the executor of your estate will need to file a claim with the insurance company in order to receive the death benefit. The payout may come in one lump sum or in another form, depending on the insurance company.
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How Does Term Life Work?
Term life insurance is often viewed as more cut and dried than permanent life insurance. Policy owners make regular monthly payments during the term. The insurance company pays a death benefit — or the amount of the coverage — if the policy owner dies during the term.
Term life insurance covers a set period, such as 20 or 30 years.
The coverage can range from $25,000 to several million dollars, depending on the insurer and your financial needs and plans. If the insured dies after the time period chosen, the insurance company will not provide the payout.
The intent of term life insurance is to ensure that your financial responsibilities are taken care of in case of an illness or tragedy. A policy can support the financial needs of children, help a stay-at-home parent find their footing, or cover a mortgage, credit card bills, or other outstanding debt.
Parents may decide to buy term life insurance while their children are younger and before they go to college or establish careers. Some people might also choose term life insurance because it typically costs less than permanent life insurance. Others may opt for term life because they believe they’ll be self-insured when the term ends or because they want to protect certain assets, such as paying off a mortgage.
What Is Permanent Life Insurance?
Unlike term life, permanent life insurance provides coverage for a lifetime. For example, when you purchase whole life insurance, a common kind of permanent life, the policy remains in effect for the rest of your life unless you cancel it or miss payments. Beneficiaries receive the death benefit after the insured passes away.
Permanent life insurance can be more complicated because there is a “cash value” included in the policy. These financial products are seen as a combination of insurance and savings.
One of the main differences between term life and permanent life insurance is the amount of the premium, or the money that you pay each month to maintain the policy. Permanent life insurance is usually more expensive than term life insurance because it provides longer coverage.
Recommended: 8 Popular Types of Life Insurance for Any Age
What to Consider When Choosing a Policy
There are several things to evaluate before you purchase either term or permanent life insurance. Examining the options will help you decide which type of insurance will meet your financial needs the best.
Waiting Periods
A waiting period is the length of time the insured person must wait before some or all of their coverage kicks in. Some life insurance companies will make policies effective immediately or as soon as the first payment is made.
Waiting periods were created to avoid fraud and are one way that insurance companies protect themselves. If the insurance company does not have a waiting period, the policy is likely to be more expensive than one that requires someone to wait.
When applying for any life insurance policy, it’s best to ask if there is a waiting period and whether any exceptions exist. Then, once a policy is issued, it’s smart to confirm the details.
Cost of Premiums
One major factor in weighing term life and permanent life insurance policies is the monthly premiums. Typically, term life insurance costs less — often much less — than permanent life insurance, even though the coverage amount is the same.
The difference is that permanent life insurance has a cash value component. If you need to take out a loan, you can use that money as collateral based on the interest rate given in a policy. The cash value part of a permanent life insurance policy generally grows tax-free, though in some cases withdrawals, loans, and surrenders may be taxed.
Permanent life insurance has a cash value component and costs more than term life.
One main difference between term life and permanent life is that if you live beyond the term that you chose, no money is paid out. Term life insurance policies have no cash value.
Recommended: How to Buy Life Insurance in 9 Steps
Making the Right Choice
Choosing between term life and permanent life insurance policies can be difficult. While permanent life insurance policies have a savings portion, the “cash value” is invested by the insurance companies and they choose what assets they want to invest in.
Other criteria that may help you make a decision are whether you are married or not, if you have children and how old they are, if you think your salary will increase over time, and how much debt you have, such as your mortgage, other loans, and credit card bills that would need to be paid off if you died.
Changing a Current Policy
You may already have a life insurance policy, but life circumstances can change rapidly. Some life insurance companies might allow you to either increase or decrease the amount of coverage.
Permanent life insurance policies tend to be more complicated, and changes may mean that you will have to pay administrative fees.
Most permanent life policies have a surrender charge, which is subtracted from the top of your cash value if you end, or surrender, the policy. Surrendering a policy means giving it up. You’ll receive the cash value, minus any fees. By canceling the life insurance policy, your heirs will receive nothing from it when you die.
The Takeaway
Life insurance can help protect your family from the financial impact of your death. Term life insurance provides coverage for a set amount of time. If the insured person dies during that time, their beneficiaries receive the entire payout. Permanent life, on the other hand, provides lifelong coverage and comes with a cash value. Beneficiaries receive the payout after the insured dies. As you consider policies, be sure to note the costs involved.
If you’re shopping for life insurance, SoFi has partnered with Ladder to offer competitive life insurance policies that are quick to set up and easy to understand. You can apply in just minutes and get an instant decision. As your circumstances change, you can easily change or cancel your policy with no fees and no hassles.
Complete an application and get your quote in just minutes.
Coverage and pricing is subject to eligibility and underwriting criteria.
Ladder Insurance Services, LLC (CA license # OK22568; AR license # 3000140372) distributes term life insurance products issued by multiple insurers- for further details see ladderlife.com. All insurance products are governed by the terms set forth in the applicable insurance policy. Each insurer has financial responsibility for its own products.
Ladder, SoFi and SoFi Agency are separate, independent entities and are not responsible for the financial condition, business, or legal obligations of the other, Social Finance. Inc. (SoFi) and Social Finance Life Insurance Agency, LLC (SoFi Agency) do not issue, underwrite insurance or pay claims under Ladder Life™ policies. SoFi is compensated by Ladder for each issued term life policy.
SoFi Agency and its affiliates do not guarantee the services of any insurance company.
All services from Ladder Insurance Services, LLC are their own. Once you reach Ladder, SoFi is not involved and has no control over the products or services involved. The Ladder service is limited to documents and does not provide legal advice. Individual circumstances are unique and using documents provided is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances. Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice. SOPT0523005
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In the past, there was one place to go when you wanted a loan: the local bank. In 2015, you have many more options, and peer-to-peer lending is proving to be an attractive choice for many borrowers looking for a good deal – plus individual lenders looking for an investment option. In fact, peer-to-peer lending companies, including Lending Club, Prosper and SoFi, are exploding so fast in popularity they are doubling their lending every nine months or so!
So what’s peer-to-peer lending all about? We have the scoop for you.
What is peer-to-peer lending?
Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending marketplaces offer loans outside of traditional banks by using algorithms that match borrowers with investors according to each party’s requirements. These companies face fewer regulations because they aren’t banks – they are simply acting as intermediaries between the borrower lender(s), meaning fees and rates are lower. Americans borrowed $6.6 billion in loans last year from P2P lenders.
What are the advantages to borrowing from a peer-to-peer lender?
For borrowers with good or excellent credit, you can expect to receive a more competitive interest rate than from a bank. This is especially helpful for consolidating debt: Lending Club recently revealed that borrowers who used a personal loan to consolidate debt or pay off high interest credit cards reported the interest rate on their loan was an average of 7 percentage points lower than they were paying on their outstanding debt. But don’t forget: when consolidating credit card debt you are moving it, not necessarily dealing it with it. Have a plan to make lifestyle changes so you can effectively pay the loan each month – Mint can help you make your plan!
Other advantages? Some lending marketplace create a loan-worthiness profile from credentials in addition to your credit score, including job history, education and social media activity. Plus, the entire application process is much more streamlined: you’ll fill out much less paperwork and can get approval in a day or two.
Who are the lenders on peer-to-peer marketplaces?
In short: anyone! Facing continued stagnation in savings interest rates, investors are looking for new options to grow their money or diversify their investment strategy. Most P2P loan terms are only a few years, so lending to peers creates a return on investment returns without locking up funds for long periods of time.
But a word of caution, there is more risk involved, so potential lenders should do their research – luckily, most marketplaces allow you to diversify investments across hundreds of loans taken by borrowers.
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The Walmart MoneyCard is a reloadable prepaid debit card designed to provide a versatile financial solution for a range of consumers. This includes those who do not have access to conventional bank accounts or people seeking a tighter rein over their spending.
The MoneyCard is not tied to a traditional checking account, which eliminates the risk of overdrafting, offering a critical advantage over conventional banking.
Issued by the Green Dot Bank, the Walmart MoneyCard doesn’t necessitate a credit check or a specific credit score, thus making it easily accessible. This feature can be particularly useful for those wanting to avoid the credit scrutiny that comes with most credit card companies or people working on rebuilding their credit scores.
Getting Started with Walmart MoneyCard
The process to get started with a Walmart MoneyCard is straightforward. Customers can apply for the card online or buy a starter kit from any Walmart stores.
Once the card is registered and activated, you can load money onto it through various means. These include direct deposit, using Walmart Rapid Reload, or transferring money from a different bank account.
You can use the Walmart MoneyCard immediately for in-store and online purchases at any location that accepts Visa or Mastercard debit cards.
Walmart MoneyCard: Key Features
Cash Back Rewards
One of the Walmart MoneyCard’s standout features is its cash back rewards system. The card offers up to 3% cash back on purchases made at Walmart.com, 2% at Walmart fuel stations, and 1% cash back on purchases made in Walmart stores.
This feature can provide significant value, particularly for regular Walmart shoppers. Keep in mind that the total rewards are capped at $75 per year.
Free Cash Reloads
The Walmart MoneyCard makes it simple to add money to your card with free cash reloads in Walmart stores. This is a practical and convenient feature, especially for those who routinely shop at Walmart. It allows customers to top up their card balances during their regular shopping trips, making the process seamless and straightforward.
Walmart MoneyCard App
The cardholder gains access to a robust mobile banking platform via the mobile app. The app lets you deposit checks using the mobile check deposit feature, pay bills, transfer money to others, check your account balance, and set account alerts. Having all these capabilities in the palm of your hand simplifies managing your finances.
ASAP Direct Deposit
ASAP Direct Deposit is another noteworthy feature of the Walmart MoneyCard. With this feature, you can receive your paycheck or government benefits up to two days early, depending on your employer or benefits provider’s deposit schedule. This can offer considerable assistance, especially when budgeting around bill payments or other financial commitments.
Understanding the Fee Structure
Despite the various benefits the Walmart MoneyCard offers, it does come with a monthly fee of $5.94. This fee, along with potential charges for ATM withdrawals or balance inquiries, is vital to understand before getting the card. However, the monthly fee can be waived in any month where you have loaded $1,000 or more to your card in the previous monthly period.
Furthermore, it’s important to note that while Walmart Rapid Reload is free, using this service at non-Walmart locations may involve a fee. Similarly, while withdrawals at in-network ATMs are free, out-of-network ATM withdrawals come with a $2.50 fee.
Walmart MoneyCard: Main Benefits
No Overdraft Fees
One of the significant advantages of the Walmart MoneyCard is the absence of overdraft fees. With this prepaid card, you’re spending your own money that you’ve loaded onto the card, which means there’s no chance of incurring an overdraft fee or the risk of a bounced check.
This feature could provide peace of mind, especially for those who are worried about maintaining a positive balance in a traditional checking account.
MoneyCard Vault
The Walmart MoneyCard comes with a unique feature called the MoneyCard Vault. This tool acts as a savings account, allowing you to set aside money while earning interest. With the MoneyCard Vault, you can earn a 2% annual interest rate (APY) on your savings up to a $1,000 balance. This feature incentivizes saving by providing an opportunity to grow your money.
Cash Prizes
Not only does the MoneyCard Vault help you save, but it also offers an exciting chance to win cash prizes. For every dollar saved in the MoneyCard Vault, you earn an entry into a monthly drawing where 999 winners are chosen.
These winners could receive a cash prize of up to $1,000. This feature makes saving money even more enticing, offering a chance at a potential monetary bonus simply for practicing good saving habits.
Family Accounts
Finally, the Walmart MoneyCard offers a beneficial feature for families. The cardholder can create up to four additional MoneyCards for family members who are 13 years and older. This could be an excellent tool for teaching teens about financial responsibility or for managing a family budget effectively.
Potential Drawbacks and Limitations
While the Walmart MoneyCard offers several benefits, it does have potential drawbacks that must be considered. One such drawback is the monthly fee of $5.94. This fee can be waived if you load at least $1,000 onto the card in the previous monthly period, but for users who don’t frequently load large amounts onto their card, this cost might be a deterrent.
Although there’s the benefit of earning rewards, there are limitations. The cash back rewards are capped at $75 each year. Depending on your spending habits, this may be less generous than some rewards credit cards offered by traditional financial institutions or credit card companies.
It’s also important to note that while the card offers the ability to withdraw cash, out-of-network ATM withdrawals come with a $2.50 fee. Additional third-party fees might be charged at out-of-network ATMs and are not controlled by Green Dot Bank.
Security Features
Walmart MoneyCard provides several measures to ensure the safety of your funds. Firstly, your funds are held with Green Dot Bank, a member of FDIC, meaning your MoneyCard deposits are insured up to the standard deposit insurance limit.
The card also includes an EMV chip that provides enhanced security and is globally accepted. Additionally, customers can set up account alerts through the app to receive instant notification of any transactions or suspicious activity.
Another valuable security feature is the ability to instantly lock your card if it’s ever lost or stolen, directly from the MoneyCard App or website. This can prevent unauthorized use and provide peace of mind.
Customer Service and Support
Walmart offers various customer service channels for MoneyCard users. These include a phone number to call for live support and an online Help Center with answers to common questions. You can also receive assistance via the Walmart app or website, where you can report lost or stolen cards, check your balance, view transactions, and find the nearest Walmart store or ATM.
Remember that it’s always beneficial to research user reviews and feedback to get a sense of the overall customer service experience. While Walmart offers several avenues for support, it’s essential to ensure that the support meets your expectations and needs.
Comparing Walmart MoneyCard with Other Prepaid Cards
When compared to other prepaid cards on the market, the Walmart MoneyCard stands strong. Its cash back rewards program, free cash reloads at Walmart stores, and early access to direct deposits via the ASAP Direct Deposit feature set it apart from many competitors.
However, it’s crucial to remember that no single financial product will be the perfect fit for everyone. Other prepaid cards might have lower monthly fees or offer different benefits, like rewards on other types of purchases, no fees for ATM withdrawals at certain ATMs, or better customer service.
It’s essential to compare the Walmart MoneyCard with other prepaid debit cards and carefully consider your financial needs, habits, and preferences before making a decision.
Is the Walmart MoneyCard right for you?
The Walmart MoneyCard could be a good fit for those who shop frequently at Walmart, as they can earn cash back at Walmart.com, Walmart stores, and Walmart fuel stations. For those without a traditional bank account, or for those who wish to avoid overdraft fees and credit checks, the Walmart MoneyCard provides a flexible and accessible option.
Additionally, if you’re seeking a tool to help with budgeting or teaching family members about financial responsibility, the Walmart MoneyCard can be a valuable resource due to its reloadable nature and the option to create additional MoneyCards for family members.
However, if you’re not a frequent Walmart shopper, or if you plan to make regular ATM withdrawals, it’s important to consider the associated fees. The $2.50 out-of-network ATM fee and the monthly fee (unless waived) could outweigh the benefits for some users. Similarly, those who do not anticipate depositing $1,000 or more monthly might find the fee to be a deterrent.
As always, your individual financial habits, needs, and goals are key factors in determining whether a particular financial product, such as the Walmart MoneyCard, is a good fit for you.
Bottom Line
The Walmart MoneyCard offers a unique blend of features, such as the rewards program, no overdraft fees, and the MoneyCard Vault savings feature, that make it stand out among prepaid debit cards. Its ease of use, accessibility, and range of services offer an appealing package for many individuals.
However, potential users should be mindful of the associated fees and limitations. The potential for out-of-network ATM fees and the monthly charge (unless waived) should be weighed against the benefits that the card provides. Also, the card may not be the best fit for individuals who don’t frequently shop at Walmart or deposit less than $1,000 monthly.
As with any financial product, it’s critical to understand its fee structure, limitations, and potential downsides before deciding if it’s the right fit for your financial needs.
Closing on a house can take almost two months, making it a prime target for instant payment settlement.
To get keys into homeowners’ hands even faster, KeyBank is working with The Clearing House and EMTransfer, a real estate cash management platform, to apply the RTP rail to real estate transactions.
“We’re all aware of the time for wires or e-checks or paper checks,” said Jon Briggs, head of commercial product for KeyBank. “This will enable us to process these payments in a manner of seconds.”
TCH is looking to expand use cases for its RTP network to gain more usage as the FedNow system gets set to launch in the coming weeks, while KeyBank hopes instant settlement will boost the bank’s embedded finance strategy.
“Firms have been dipping their toes in RTP for real estate,” said Cheryl Gurz, vice president of RTP product development for The Clearing House, adding that some title companies have used the rail to connect to a buyer or seller’s bank “here and there” but not in a large scale way. EMTransfer will greatly expand RTP’s use for real estate, Gurz said.
EMTransfer will access real-time settlement through a KeyBank application programming interface. The API enables real-time payments to be sent over the RTP Network. EMTransfer consolidates payments for title companies, insurance firms, lawyers, or other parties that need to be paid during a real estate closing. Residential real estate closings take an average of about 50 days, according to RocketMortgage.
“A real estate transaction has a complexity of a single payment that has to be parsed out to a number of recipients,” Briggs said. “There’s the seller, the real estate agent, the title company, insurance companies, sewer hookup, etc.”
The collaboration will mitigate fraud risk via immediate confirmation of receipt for all parties in a real estate transaction, TCH said. There’s also an opportunity to reduce per diem payments, or the fees charged for closings that linger beyond the previously scheduled date. Agent commissions can also be paid faster, and the product can be used in states that allow buyers and sellers to use different title and escrow companies. In those cases, the RTP network can be used as a bridge between companies if the banks are on the RTP network.
“What makes this interesting is RTP is a 24x7x365 rail,” Briggs said. “We all have day jobs. We’re not thinking about settling a real estate transaction.”
The RTP network has more than 300 bank members, covering about 70% of the addressable bank accounts in the U.S.
It faces potential competition from the launch of FedNow, which is scheduled for July. FedNow will be accessible to more than 9,000 financial institutions, though it will take a year or more for the institutions to add support for FedNow. RTP has been live for about five years already.
Real estate firms already use third-party software to aggregate their payments, and these software providers can use real-time payments to transact outside of business hours, according to Gurz. “The payment can be processed at any time.”
The next phase will be to include TCH’s Request for Payment, or real-time billing. Real-time billing combines digital bill presentment with the RTP network, enabling payments to be processed at the time of billing or at a predetermined time based on the payers’ cash position. That feature is under development for real estate closing, Gurz said.
KeyBank is also hoping the use of real-time processing for real estate can inspire use for other financial services, as it looks to grow its embedded finance strategy, Briggs said. Embedded finance refers to the use of payment credentials to offer a variety of financial services, often from third parties.
As use cases for real-time settlement proliferate, disbursements similar to real-estate closings — where payments that are related but sent to multiple recipients — will be a primary area of focus, according to Albert Bodone, director of commercial and enterprise payments for Javelin Strategy & Research.
“Immediate clearing and settlement can be extremely important when you’re making these types of payments,” Bodone said.
Payment technology firms such as AptPay, for example, are positioning real-time payments as a way to enable insurers to send and receive payments upon request. This could help policyholders who need to access compensation fast after a loss. Policy premium payments and refunds are another real-time settlement use case for insurance firms.
In auto lending, U.S. Bank partnered with e-commerce site Driveway.com in 2022 to support instant settlement for car sales. TD Bank released a similar product at around the same time. U.S. Bank later added support for real-time loan funding to dealerships after the bank finalized the loan contract.
Given the limits in real-time transactions — the RTP network has a limit of $500,000 and the pending FedNow service has a $1 million limit — transactions will likely be in line with the typical closing costs for an auto loan or a house.
“Real-time pay for disbursements will be used more in the consumer space than commercial early on, but there is a fair amount of delay where there are layers of people who need to be paid as part of a larger transaction,” Bodone said.
As a parent, it is natural to want to give your child the best possible start, especially when it comes to money.
You want to teach your children good money habits, and them develop good practices that will allow them to succeed financially. In many cases, this is about more than just teaching budgeting 101 and how to avoid credit card debt. Many of us also want to help our children learn the ins and outs of investing.
Buying Stocks for Your Kids
If you want to teach your children about investing, it can be a good idea to buy stocks for them. Minors can’t buy stocks, so you will have to do it on their behalf. You have two options when it comes opening an account for your children:
Guardian Account: You retain ownership of the account, and gains are taxed at your rate.
Custodial Account: The child owns the count, even though you are in control of it. Gains are taxed at the child’s tax rate. Once the child reaches 18 or 21 (depending on where you are), the assets come under his or her control.
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You can decide what type of account would work best for your child. If you choose a custodial account, it is important to understand the restrictions that come with managing your child’s money until he or she can do it.
Once you have determined what type of account you will open for your child, it’s time to set up the investment account. You can usually open a guardian or custodial account at many brokerages, including online brokerages like TD Ameritrade and E*Trade.
Find out what minimum requirements come with opening an account, and find out what other information and documentation you might need to open an account on behalf of your child.
Helping Your Child Choose Stocks
Once you have an account set up, it’s time to help your child learn about choosing investments. You can look at companies that your child might be interested in, such as Disney, or Coke. Talk about what makes a good investment, and discuss different options. If your child is a teenager, you can discuss the merits of dividend stocks as well, allowing him or her to begin learning about income investing. You can also look for Direct Purchase Plans offered by some companies, allowing you to save on transaction fees in some cases.
Consider funds as well. There is nothing run introducing a teenager to the concept of index funds and exchange-traded funds. Talk about the costs associated with funds, as well as the instant diversity that might be available in some cases.
Your child can go on a practice run, if you would like. There are several websites and smartphone apps that allow you to put together a hypothetical portfolio and track its performance. If you want, you can encourage your child to track investments he or she is interested in, just to get an idea of how they are doing. Read up on the companies of interest and encourage your child to consider various fundamental factors in addition to the technical aspects of how stock prices rise and fall.
Once your child is more confident, you can begin making stock purchases on behalf of your child. Letting him or see that sometimes there are losses as a result of a poor decision can be part of the learning process, but your involvement should help prevent major investing mistakes.
Buy Stock Through the Company
When we had our first son I was excited to buy some stock for him in a custodial account directly with my brokerage firm. I bought him one share of Nike and one of Under Armour and was able to request the certificate to be mailed to me. I was getting ready to do that again for our second son, but learned that our firm (and many others) don’t do this anymore. You have to call the custodian of the company (a popular one is Computer Share) and see if the stock available.
Wanting to buy some different stock (I was looking at Google or Apple) I was able to get their contact info from my back office. I was disappointed that my first pick, Apple, no longer issues stock certificates – boo! So if you’re an Apple fan like myself and want to get the certificate for a loved one, you’re outta luck. I know. I’m saddened, too. 🙁
I’m still trying to figure what stock to buy. I’ll keep you posted…..
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Is it possible to earn a paycheck while sitting on the couch watching television? Absolutely, but it takes a bit of work beforehand to set things in motion. By developing online assets, investments and interest payments, you can put your dollars to work so they provide gains while you sleep. Here are the details and the best ways to put $1,000 of passive income into your pocket every month. For help managing your money — no matter how you earn it — consider working with a financial advisor.
What Is Passive Income?
The IRS defines passive income as earnings generated by someone who isn’t materially participating in the endeavor, meaning you work less than 500 hours annually on a project or less than 100 hours if you put in more time than the rest of any coworkers involved.
Essentially, passive income is created by developing assets that earn money by themselves. For example, creating a blog with affiliate links will provide earnings every time a reader clicks through to a specific product. This way, you make money in perpetuity for the work you did once.
How to Find Ways to Make Passive Income
Passive income comes from assets, like a YouTube channel or an online store. In most cases, though, you need resources to start out. Whether you buy a better webcam or take a writing course, generating passive income means investing money to get yourself going. Therefore, saving money beforehand is key.
To that end, your first steps are researching the passive income streams that appeal to you, identifying your starting costs and saving the money you need. In this phase, it’s crucial to avoid financial risk. Piling money into a high-yield savings account is an excellent choice because you can earn 4% APY in an account with FDIC insurance.
Putting serious cash into a savings account that compounds monthly can also serve as a first exposure to passive income. You’ll put your dollars to work and watch your money grow. Once you save the money you need, you can invest it in more lucrative passive income streams.
Low-Involvement Passive Income
These options put the ‘passive’ in passive income because they require less work to get going. However, they have less earning potential than high-involvement passive income streams.
Purchase Series I Bonds
Rising interest rates have made Series I bonds a viable passive income investment. Specifically, you can purchase these bonds with a 4.3% APY through October 2023, after which the government will modify the rate (this occurs every six months). Plus, the U.S. Treasury backs these bonds, meaning your risk is almost zero.
Additionally, Series I bonds earn interest for thirty years, making them a suitable long-term investment. On the other hand, you can sell your bonds after holding them for at least a year. However, you’ll lose the most recent three months of interest if you sell them before holding them for five years.
Create a CD Ladder
A certificate of deposit (CD) is like a short-term savings account with an excellent interest rate. Therefore, you can continuously purchase new CDs as they mature and reinvest your gains. You can buy a CD at most banks and credit unions.
CDs mature in one to five years, depending on the specific product. The longer the term, the higher the interest rate. Because your CD money isn’t accessible while it matures (unless you want to forfeit your gains), it helps to create a CD ladder. This way, a portion of your investment is always available.
For example, your ladder could look like this:
$1,000 in a one-year CD with a 3.5% APY
$1,000 in a two-year CD with a 3.75% APY
$2,500 in a five-year CD with a 4.5% APY
So, you’ll receive part of your investment back after a year and can reinvest or pocket the profits. Then, you’ll get another portion of your investment back after another year and the final $2,500 plus interest three years after that. Your ladder will provide a stream of income at different milestones, boosting your liquidity as an investor.
Become a Paid Online Shopper
If you’re a dedicated online shopper, you can turn your pastime into cash. For example, Rakuten pays between 1% and 20% for each online purchase you make, with no upward limit on earnings. While this perk isn’t a license to impulse spend every night, it can provide a passive income boost to purchases you would make regardless. You’ll also get a $10 welcome bonus for signing up (or more for using specific affiliate links).
Use Rewards Credit Cards
A rewards credit card pairs perfectly with online shopping (and any other shopping you do). There are dozens of excellent rewards cards available, such as Discover (1% to 5% cash back per purchase) or Chase Freedom Unlimited (1.5% to 5%). This way, all your purchases, from grocery stores and gas stations to vacation expenses, will provide an income stream. Remember, paying your credit card monthly is essential for this strategy. Otherwise, you’ll pay at least 15% APR on your balance, putting yourself in the hole instead of getting ahead.
Use a Robo-Advisor
Robo-advisors are digital investment companies using algorithms to grow a diversified portfolio of assets. The advantages are the low management costs and balance requirements. For example, Betterment charges $4 per month to invest, with no minimum balance requirement (you can achieve even lower fees with a sufficient balance or monthly deposit). Because human advisors charge at least 1% of the assets managed and often require a high minimum balance, robo-advisors are an inexpensive, accessible way to receive capital gains. In addition, your portfolio will rebalance itself periodically, meaning you don’t have to lift a finger.
High-Involvement Passive Income
These methods require more elbow grease but can provide thousands of dollars per month:
Invest in the Stock Market
Since 1926, the top 500 companies in the stock market (as tracked in the S&P 500 index) have returned an average of about 10% per year. Therefore, the stock market remains one of the most lucrative passive income options.
You can open an investment fund, dump money into an S&P 500 index and let it grow. However, you can also become a more involved investor by researching companies and industries and allocating money to stocks in companies with high growth potential. While doing so requires more work, you may see higher gains if you can stomach the risk.
Invest in Real Estate
Real estate can provide passive income in various ways. First, you can purchase shares in a real estate investment trust (REIT) if you don’t want to own or manage physical property. Instead, you’ll have shares in a company that invests in mortgages and commercial real estate. You’ll receive gains when the company’s investments flourish. Because federal law requires REITs to return at least 90% of their profits to shareholders, you’ll see profits any time the company does well.
Next, you can purchase rental properties to develop monthly income from rent payments. This strategy involves managing property and can get hectic if you acquire multiple properties (fortunately, you can hire a company to manage your properties when you scale). The payoff is thousands of dollars per month, which can offset the mortgages for your properties and pad your wallet. As you pay off the homes, each rent payment becomes worth even more. Plus, property appreciation gives you an opportunity to sell the property for substantial gains.
Start a YouTube Channel
The typical YouTuber receives $18 per 1,000 views on their videos. So, you can transform a hobby or passion into a series of money-making videos. For example, if you have a particular skill, such as DIY home improvement, your how-to videos can educate the masses and provide hefty returns.
Start a Podcast
Similarly, your favorite topics, movies, books and more can become profitable discussion material on a podcast. So, choose what interests you most, purchase a high-quality microphone and start talking. Like a blog, a podcast can provide earnings through advertisements, affiliate sales and membership subscriptions.
Create a Course Online
Likewise, you can turn a special skill or interest into web-based training. So whether you’re a social media marketing savant or a workout expert, you can transform your knowledge into a purchasable set of online classes.
Write a Book
While writing a book requires time, editing and publishing costs, book royalties can provide sizeable passive income. Additionally, your earnings can snowball if you release multiple books. Plus, you can also pair this strategy with an online writing course if you become a well-known author in your genre.
Remember, you can write physical books or eBooks. The advantage of eBooks is the inexpensive publishing, mass availability and sales potential. Specifically, Publishers Weekly reported eBooks sales for 2022 to be $2.57 billion, a 6% increase from the year prior.
Maintain a Blog
Writing a blog can be an excellent creative outlet and passive income generator. Whether your focus is pet training or gardening, you can write with expertise and direct readers to the products you use. This way, you can earn affiliate income, gain an online/social media audience and accumulate an email marketing database.
Create Leads For Another Business
If you want to create a website but don’t have a specific idea for earning money, you can increase sales for another company instead. For instance, you can write about topics pertaining to the business and provide links to the company’s website. This way, every click can earn a commission. In addition, you can use social media and Google ads to generate leads.
As a result, competence in Digital Marketing and SEO is essential for this strategy to work. The payment structure usually involves a flat monthly fee or a pay-per-lead model. This flexible business model has great potential for scaling up to generate an unlimited monthly income.
Sell Stock Photography
Many internet-based entrepreneurs lack the time or inclination to snap their own photographs for their websites. Instead, they resort to stock images, which are generic and expertly captured photographs. These photographs are usually acquired as a set or via a monthly membership to a stock photo website.
So, if you want to diversify your income sources as a photographer, you could create and sell styled stock photo bundles. For instance, you could offer a package of 15 stock photos with a business theme for $15. Then, you can market your product to websites and businesses. By doing this, you can earn a continual flow of revenue from images you captured once.
Rent Out a Room
If you have additional rooms in your home and are open to having guests, you can utilize online platforms such as VRBO to rent out a room in your house. Moreover, you could rent out your entire home if you travel frequently. The cost of renting a room varies based on location and the area you reside in, meaning you could charge hundreds of dollars per night in a high-demand area.
Rent Out Your Car
Similarly, you can rent out a car if you have a second one or don’t drive much. Platforms such as Turo connect car owners with customers who need a vehicle temporarily. Renting out your car a couple of weekends per month can create hundreds of dollars of extra income for an asset you already own.
The Bottom Line
There are numerous options for generating $1,000 a month in passive income. Your path toward earning this self-sustaining income stream depends on your strengths, interests and the amount of time and work you put into the project. Therefore, your way forward may be as simple as becoming an Airbnb host or involve researching the real estate market and purchasing a rental property. Remember, your passive income will have specific tax implications, so it’s best to understand how an asset will affect your taxes before going all in.
Tips for Making $1,000 a Month in Passive Income
A financial advisor can help you create a plan for your money. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Remember, reducing costs means keeping more of your passive income. Shaving even a tiny percentage off expenses can create a significant upside. For more, here’s how minimizing expense ratios can boost your savings.
Ashley Kilroy
Ashley Chorpenning is an experienced financial writer currently serving as an investment and insurance expert at SmartAsset. In addition to being a contributing writer at SmartAsset, she writes for solo entrepreneurs as well as for Fortune 500 companies. Ashley is a finance graduate of the University of Cincinnati. When she isn’t helping people understand their finances, you may find Ashley cage diving with great whites or on safari in South Africa.
You probably already know that homeowners insurance covers your house and everything in it, but there’s actually a lot more to your policy. Depending on the circumstances, your homeowners insurance could also pay for a hotel stay, a suitcase stolen on vacation or even a lawyer to defend you in a lawsuit. Here’s a peek at a few useful features that might be available in your policy.
1. Living expenses if your home is damaged
Say an electrical fire leaves your home unsafe to live in. You don’t have to pay out of pocket for a hotel or crash on a friend’s couch for months on end while waiting for repairs.
Instead, turn to your loss of use coverage. This part of your policy can help you “maintain your normal standard of living,” says Justin Skipton, a vice president for the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters.
For example, your policy could pay for an extended-stay hotel or a rental apartment where you can have a full kitchen plus space for kids and pets, Skipton says. You can also get reimbursed for things like extra transportation costs if your rental home is farther away from work or school.
Your insurer will often cap your expenses at a certain percentage of your dwelling coverage limit, says Alaina Hixson, director of sales and operations at The Churchill Agency in Brentwood, Tennessee.
So if you have $200,000 of insurance on the structure of your house and your loss of use coverage is 20%, you’d have up to $40,000 to put toward living expenses while you’re away from home. Time limits may apply, such as 12 or 24 months.
Note that your costs should be reasonable. “If your $150,000 house burns down, you’re not going to be able to stay at The Ritz-Carlton or some high-end hotel for a year while you rebuild,” says Rich Johnson, director of communications for the Insurance Council of Texas.
2. Your belongings away from home
If someone breaks into your hotel room and steals your stuff while you’re on vacation, your homeowners insurance may pay to replace the lost items.
“Most insurance policies give you coverage for your personal property anywhere in the world,” Skipton says. “But sometimes they’ll limit the amount of that coverage.”
For instance, your coverage amount for items outside your home may be 10% of your total limit for personal property coverage. If your belongings are insured for $100,000, you’ll have $10,000 worth of coverage for items outside your home.
In addition to travel, this coverage could be useful if you have stuff in a storage unit or a child living in a college dorm. Check with your agent or read your policy to see what limitations apply.
Note that personal property coverage generally comes with a deductible, an amount subtracted from your claim payout. So if someone steals your $500 laptop from a cafe but you have a $1,000 deductible, you won’t get any benefit from filing a claim.
3. Lawsuits and liability claims
Few homeowners expect to be sued — but if you are, your insurance company might have your back.
The personal liability section of your policy covers you if a member of your household is responsible for someone else’s injury or property damage. That could include scenarios like your dog biting someone at the park or a delivery person slipping on your icy front steps. Your policy can cover medical expenses as well as lost wages if the injured person has to miss work, Johnson says.
If the other person sues you instead of just filing a claim, your insurance company will generally pay to defend you in court, Hixson says. It will also cover legal damages up to your policy limit.
Note that some companies won’t insure dog breeds they consider aggressive, such as pit bulls, Johnson says. And liability coverage covers accidents or negligence — not crimes or intentional harm to others.
4. Unusual losses
Homeowners insurance also covers a few oddities, including space debris and burial plots in cemeteries.
“If a satellite falls on your home, you’re covered,” Johnson says. That’s because standard homeowners insurance pays for damage from falling objects. Meteors and asteroids could also fall into this category.
In addition, your policy may cover headstones, mausoleums and other grave markers that you’re responsible for, Skipton says. For example, if you purchased a memorial for your deceased spouse and someone vandalized it, your policy could pay for repairs.
Your own homeowners policy may hold even more surprises. To discover them — and to make sure you have the coverage that’s most important to you — reach out to your agent, Hixson says. “Make sure you’re asking questions.”
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
The Christmas season is here and you want fun ideas to do!
To help make your life easier this year, I created a bucket list full of over 100 activities. You can use it as an actual bucket list or just enjoy scrolling through some fun things to do with friends and family before December 25th.
You will find everything from decorating ideas for your home (from simple snowflakes that are easy enough for kids to make) all the way to DIY recipes for Christmas treats.
Who doesn’t love a good list?
This Christmas bucket list is things you can do with your family around the Christmas season to make it more lively and enjoyable.
I made this list for my own kids, but I thought I would share it with you to use it too!
How can you make your Christmas bucket list more fun?
There are many different ways to make your Christmas bucket list more fun.
One way is to focus on new activities that you haven’t done before. Another way is to add food-related activities, which always make Christmas special.
You can also try incorporating some outdoor activities, even if it’s just for a (snowy) day.
And don’t forget about family traditions! They’re a big part of the holidays and can really enhance the experience.
No matter what you do, make sure you enjoy yourself (and not stress yourself out)! The holidays are a time for celebration and should be spent with loved ones. Merry Christmas!
Memorable Christmas Bucket List
While we love the classic Christmas bucket lists, we also are always looking for unique ideas to add to your holiday bucket list.
Some of these out-of-the-box ideas are pretty sweet and you may want to do them year and year again.
You can find everything from baking cookies to attending a German market to spending Christmas at a lodge. No matter what you choose, make sure you keep in touch with your family and friends during the holidays.
1. Go to Mexico. This is one of our Christmas traditions! There is something relaxing about enjoying the beach while Felix Navidad is playing in the background. (Gift hint… all of the beach gifts can be given to be used on the trip.)
2. Book a Wintery Mountain Stay. On the flip side, there is something magical about sipping hot cocoa while by the fireplace when giant snowflakes are falling outside.
3. Participate in a Neighborhood Luminaires Night. Organize one night for all of your neighbors to put luminaries outlining their driveways. It is a symbolic event with neighbors coming together in peace.
4. Roast Chestnuts. Just like in the famous song by Nat King Cole, it is your turn to roast chestnuts on an open fire.
5. Wrap Presents with Friends. For some wrapping presents is fun, for others it is a task. But everything is always sweeter to do with friends, so plan a time to wrap presents with friends. Appetizers and drinks are optional.
6. Order Matching Christmas Pajamas. This is a popular Christmas tradition for most families. Make sure you order your matching Christmas Pajamas in time. Some of my favorite places to find them are Kohl’s, Macy’s, and Amazon.
7.Wear Matching Christmas Pajamas. Depending on the age of your kids and spouse will depend on how well the matching outfits go over. Make sure to snap pictures!!
8.Kiss Under the Mistletoe. This is a fun Christmas tradition for kids and adults. Kids love this because it’s not just kissing their parents on the cheek, but they get to kiss everyone in the room! Adults love this too because it’s a great opportunity to get some alone time with your significant other.
9. Host a Progressive Dinner. This is a great idea to host a fun holiday party. For each course of a meal, you move houses.
For example, you start at house A for appetizers.
Then, move to House B for dinner.
Finally, wrap up at House C for dessert.
If you have more houses participating, then you can easily stretch to a 7-course meal.
10. Buy Ugly Christmas sweaters. This is a love-hate for many people. Are you totally into buying Christmas sweaters or do you want to shy away? Either way, it is always helpful to have at least one ugly Christmas sweater in your closet.
11. And then host an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party. Time to invite all of your introvert friends for an epic ugly sweater party. The winner walks away with a prize!
12. Go to a Christmas Eve Service. If you’re feeling a little more spiritual, there are many churches that offer Christmas Eve services. If it’s your first time going to one, consider this a good opportunity to introduce the whole family and get them interested in going.
13. Classic Christmas Movie Marathon. This is always a popular idea! Especially one that is next to free to do! Pull up the classic movies and enjoy!
14. Read Christmas Books. This is another one that is uber-popular in our house! We try to stick with Christmas-only books in the month of December. One of our favorites is JK Rowling’s latest book!
15. Go on River Cruises. The river is a great place to find some peace and quiet. You can go during the day or at night.
16. Stay Downtown. Whether you are looking in another state or in your own city, you’ll find a new adventure.
17. Snowman Building Competition. Set up a snowman building competition in your neighborhood and let the winners decide what charity to donate the money raised! Bragging rites until the next competition is held.
18. Shake a Snowglobe. Maybe even add to your snowglobe collection. There is a great children’s book called Snow Globe Family. That is a super fun read.
Classic Christmas Bucket List Ideas
This is the list you think of when it comes to Christmas things to do!
Whatever you decide to do this holiday season, make sure it’s something that will create memories that will last a lifetime.
19. Bake Christmas Cookies. This is the classic holiday bucket list idea. Here are some of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
20. Watch Christmas Hallmark Movies. Did you know there is a countdown to when the Hallmark Channel releases their Christmas movies?!?! Yes, this is a must-do for many people. In fact, you may want to buy them the same Hallmark socks we gave our moms.
21. Host a Christmas cookie exchange. Yes, please! Cookie exchanges are the best. In fact, it is one of the most popular Christmas challenges.
22. Go Christmas Caroling. Is it a tradition? Or is it just something that you love to do with your friends and family? Bring joy to your neighborhood or nursing home by singing traditional Christmas carols.
23. Volunteer. This could be serving at a soup kitchen, organizing an event for people who can’t afford gifts to “shop,” or lending a hand to a neighbor in need. There are many organizations looking for help.
24. Build a Snowman. Yes, this is the ultimate idea for families. Make sure you have the snowman supplies to dress up your Frosty the Snowman properly. Don’t forget the carrot nose!
25. Build a Gingerbread House. This is a classic activity for many kids and you can easily pick up a gingerbread house kit for under $10. However, it is not just for kids. Check out this family’s gingerbread house display!
26. Christmas Portrait Time. Thankfully, this time of year you can find plenty of Pinterest-perfect backdrops to take portraits at. You can take family photos or one of each person in your house. This accessory helps your amateur photos look professional!
27. Mail Christmas Cards. This may have been a long-standing tradition for many years and slowly making a comeback. You can take Christmas photos just for the occasion or a collage of photos. Order your Christmas cards here.
28. Read Twas the Night Before Christmas. This Christmas classic must be read at least once on Christmas Eve. Grab your copy of the classic book.
29. Find Creative Ideas for Elf of the Shelf. Let’s face it. You jumped on this tradition … hook.line.and.sinker. Now, you must keep up with all of the Pinterest perfect ideas.
Christmas Outdoor Bucket List
Time to get outside and explore. Fresh air is always helpful!
30. Go Sledding. This is a classic bucket list item. Check out a new sledding hill in your neighborhood.
31. Build a Snow Fort. This is personally one of my favorite activities, but Mother Nature must cooperate with tons of snow! Grab some shovels and start building a fort!
32. Snowball Fight Time. Who doesn’t love a good snowball fight?!?! Grab some friends and head out for an epic snowball fight. Even better if you built the snow fort prior to game time!
33. Go Ice Skating. This is a classic especially if you live in the upper midwest. There are plenty of recreation centers that make ice skating a reasonable cost activity.
34. Skiing. Fresh powder sounds like the perfect Christmas tradition. Just make sure to book your ticket early.
35. Plan a Wintery Picnic. Grab a blanket, lunch, some hot cocoa, and your Christmas Pajamas for an outdoor picnic this winter! Make this time special with a special picnic basket to use.
36. Go Snowboarding. Time to shred the slopes. Check out the latest snowboarding gear.
37. Time to Go Tobogganing. What is tobogganing exactly? Much like sledding except you hit the snow-covered slopes and artificial-ice-covered chutes with a toboggan.
38. Give the Gift of Nature. Take your family on an outing to see some beautiful nature! Get out in the fresh air and enjoy the beauty of nature.
39. Make a Snow Angel. This is the perfect activity for kids to do. Yet, very calming and peaceful if you decide to get down in the snow and create snow angels.
40. Hunt for the Perfect Live Tree. Grab your permit and go on a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. Make sure to bundle up and wear snow boots!
41. Catch Snowflakes on your Tongue. Regardless of your age, this childhood memory needs to be done yearly for your Christmas bucket list. Drop all of your worries off your shoulders as you catch a snowflake on your tongue.
42 Skate on Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks. Skip the indoor rinks and head outside to skate. Even more romantic if the snow is falling.
43. Create a Winter Wonderland. This one is a do-it-yourself project that doesn’t require any crafting skills.
44. Go for a Holiday Walk. Take some time out of the hustle and bustle by taking a walk outside.
45. Neighborhood Christmas Light Competition. Another great idea is to put your home in a Christmas lights competition! This can be really fun if you have friends and family who live close by. All you need is some creative decorations and an appetite for holiday cheer.
Name That Entertainment Holiday Bucket List
Time for friends, laughter, and fun!!
These are the social must-haves on your entertainment holiday bucket list!
46. Host Christmas Eve Dinner at your home. If you have room, open up your home to friends or family who might otherwise be alone for Christmas. Our Christmas Eve tradition is fondue!
47. Christmas Party Night. Invite your friends and family over for a Christmas party night! This is a fun way to get everyone together in one place, have some laughs, and enjoy each other’s company.
48. Wear Christmas Dress Attire. Everyone wants an excuse to dress up. So, make sure you have a special occasion to year your Christmas cocktail dresses.
49. Find Entertainment from the Seasonal Classics. This could be watching The Polar Express (it’s on Netflix now!), listening to holiday music, or reading a children’s Christmas book.
50. Host an Advent Calendar Party. It is so much fun to count down the days before Christmas! This works especially well in a classroom setting. Each day is a new activity to count down the days until Christmas.
51. A Christmas Story. Watch A Christmas Story and then read a few of the lines with your friends!
52. Home Acting. Put on your own production of your favorite movie or theater production!
53. Misfit Toys. Collect a variety of small, inexpensive toys and have your guests guess which toy belongs to each guest. To make it more fun, be sure to include some items that are broken or missing pieces!
54. Mistletoe Bingo. Get your guests in the Christmas spirit by setting up a bingo board with different categories for them to fill out!
55. Birthday Party for Jesus. ‘Tis the reason for the season – the birth of Jesus Christ. Plan a birthday party to celebrate everything Jesus gave to us.
56. Holiday Game Night. Christmas is a time for fun and games, so why not have a Christmas-themed game night? Some popular game ideas include playing charades, Pictionary, or Cranium. You could also try some new games that you haven’t played before – like Elf on the Shelf or Monopoly.
Holiday Season Bucket List Around Town
One of the best things about the holiday season is there are SO MANY activities to do with no money. You can find something to do each day for free.
The paid events are classics that create lifelong memories!
57. Book a Limo to Check out Christmas Lights. What better way to enjoy watching the Christmas lights and not having to drive? Personally, this works great when sharing the limo costs with friends!
58. Attend a Local Craft Fair. These craft fairs are becoming a hot place to find personalized gifts. Plus it is a great way to give back to local small businesses as well as the high school teams and clubs who organize the craft fairs.
59. Book Tickets to a Lightshow. This is a hot commodity so make sure to book your tickets early – like around Halloween. That way you will get the prime time you want to attend the light show. Also, many areas have more than one popular light show to see!
60. Attend a Ballet Performace. While the Nutcracker is a popular dance performance, there are plenty of other ballets at this time of year.
61. Watch The Nutcracker Live. I have danced in and seen the Nutcracker so many times that I have lost count. However, I love the production, the costumes, and the music! Make it more magical by taking a young girl who has never seen the Nutcracker before and watching the production through their star-struck eyes.
62. Visit Your Local Christmas Market. Every town has one. A local store stocked with all things Christmas! Maybe even see if your area has a German Christmas Market and check out the varying traditions.
63. Attend a Holiday Tree Lighting Event. Right after Thanksgiving, there are plenty of local tree lighting ceremonies. Check with your city for dates and times.
64. Attend a Holiday Festival. The holidays are the perfect time to attend a festival with family or friends. By attending, you can enjoy the activities and experience new things that may be on your list for next year!
64. Attend a Christmas Parade. Get out and see the Christmas spirit in all of your favorite holiday traditions. Most cities kick off the holidays with a parade.
Christmas Bucket List in the Kitchen (Recipes a Must!)
Around the holidays, the kitchen is the hub of the activity. More money is spent on food and drink in November and December. So, you must include a few of these Christmas activities on your list.
65. Decorate Sugar Cookies. This is a great project that tastes delicious. It’s also really easy and you’ll be surprised how much your decorating skills improve each year.
66. Make Hot Cider. Hot cider is a great drink to have this time of year. This Christmas treat can be made in the oven or on the stovetop, with just enough heat that it’s still perfect for kids and adults. Plus it makes your house smell naturally festive.
67. Enjoy Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows. This is a perfect wintertime drink. Surprise the family with cute Christmas mugs.
68. Drink Egg Nog. This is a classic must-have during the holidays. There is something that warms your belly with the creaminess of egg nog. Make sure to buy your Egg Nog early as many stores ran out at Christmas time. Which eggnog flavor is your favorite?
69. Gourmet Hot Chocolate Bar. Set up a hot chocolate bar with all of your favorite toppings, like cinnamon, heavy cream, and gourmet chocolates. This will make the holidays even more special!
70. Snowy Ice Cream Treats! Make some delicious homemade ice cream and put it in bowls or cups and hand them out to your loved ones.
71. Visit a Bakery. These places are filled with great ideas! If you don’t have time, pick up one of their creations. Or try to make your own at home.
72. Make Your Own Gingerbread House Kit. This gingerbread house kit contains everything you need to make a gingerbread house this season.
73. Make Homemade Marshmallows. These are so simple to make and perfect for hot chocolate or in a sugar cookie recipe!
74. Make a Birthday Cake for Jesus. There is a huge reason to celebrate! So, let’s bake a cake and celebrate!
Crafty Christmas Bucket List
You don’t have to be super crafty for any of these projects. Simple ways to make decorations!
For many people, making their own gifts is a great way to give awesome Christmas gifts when you are broke.
75. Get crafty! There are thousands of Christmas crafts you can do during this season! Some ideas include making ornaments or wreaths, cutting out snowflakes, decorating a gingerbread house, or making your own Christmas cards.
76. Make DIY Christmas Tree Ornaments. Okay, I will be honest … there are so many great ideas for DIY Christmas Tree ornaments that I freeze on which project to actually complete. So, pick 1 or 2 that you know are within your crafty skills and get started!
77. Make Paper Snowflakes. This is a classic Christmas activity to do.
78. Make a Christmas Wreath and Decorations with your kids or family members. This is great for the whole family to do together, as it helps create memories that are sure to last a lifetime.
79. Wonder the Craft Stores. With no agenda and plenty of time! Let your mind wander and fill with amazing Christmas crafts you could make.
80. Make Salt Dough Ornaments. This is the simplest Christmas craft for the non-crafty person! Learn how to make salt dough from Katie.
81. Create Candy Care Garlands. The options are endless on this one! You can use big candy canes or mini candy canes to make your garlands.
82. Decorate a Christmas Photo Frame. This is a fun project that can be completed in just minutes! Take any old frame and spray paint it white. Then, add Christmas decorations around it or use spray painted puzzle pieces.
83. Knit Christmas Mittens. This is a quick and easy project to knit up for the holidays!
84. Make Your Own Snowmen. Make your own snowman out of rice or beans, it’s fun and easy.
85. Put Snowflakes on the Windows. This is a fun and easy way to decorate for the holidays.
86. Make Your Own Poinsettia Wreath. These wreaths can be made in no time at all!
87. Find Creative Ideas for Elf of the Shelf. Let’s decorate the elf and make its day bright!
88. Make Wreath Cards from Last year’s Christmas Cards. This is a great way to upcycle and make unique Christmas ideas. Watch this YouTube video to learn how.
89. Decorate Staircases with Ribbons. This is a simple trick to make your house look more festive!
90. Make Orange Peel Poppuri. This is a simple and quick recipe that will make your house smell fragrant.
91. Make Christmas Cards. This is the perfect time to make your own Christmas card with all of your family members, friends, and even pets! There are so many fun ways to customize these cards. You can be crafty with paper supplies or use a digital template.
Decoration Christmas Bucket List
The decor is the major component of the holidays! Make sure you are ready to get decorating!
92. Decorate the Christmas Tree. This “to-do” should be treated with a little more emphasis. Plan an event around decorating the tree and sharing memories while hanging ornaments.
93. Create a Themed Christmas Tree. Star Wars fan? Barbie lover? Marvel fan? Sports diehard? Time to unleash all of your passion and decorate a themed Christmas tree in honor of your fervor. Find some ideas to jumpstart your creativity.
94. Hang Chrismas lights. Even better make your house look better than the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Order your lights here.
95. Upgrade Your Christmas House Lights to a Christmas Light Show. Thankfully, technology has greatly approved and you do not need to be an engineer to figure it out. You can pick up this up and quickly set your lights to music.
96. Pick a New Scent for the Holidays. Personally, I like peppermint.
97. Buy Cute Christmas Dish Towels. This is a simple decoration tip from the pros. With this simple purchase, it looks like your house has been staged for the Pinterest perfect Christmas dinner.
Shopping Place for Holiday Activity
Every bucket list has gifts on it, so time to get your shopping done!
98. Create your Christmas Budget List. While this may not be on the top of your list, this is a very important money management tip to master. Learn how to make a Christmas budget that works for you.
99. Shop for Christmas Gifts. This is a great time to find gifts for your friends and family. No need to rush, but shop early if possible! Amazon has a ton of gift ideas that are easy on the wallet too! Find a list of the best Christmas gifts under $10 for kids.
100. Purchase Christmas Flowers just for You! Buy some fresh flowers from your local flower shop and enjoy them for the holidays!
101. Wear Christmas socks. Hello, we all love cool socks! Make sure you pick up some new Christmas socks for your holiday collection.
102. Start A Collection. If you are looking for some easy gifts, start a collection that can be added year after year! A few examples include Christmas ornaments, books about Christmas traditions from around the world, and ornaments made out of candy canes.
103. Shop A Christmas Store. Find a Christmas Store; they are worth a visit if you want to get into the holiday spirit! They have everything from traditional nutcrackers to more unique items like Santa toilet paper holders. No matter what your interests are, these specialty stores have something for everyone.
104. Give Money Creatively. Did you know you could give money besides just writing a check? There are over 45 different money gift ideas for you.
Christmas Bucket List for Family Activities
Entertaining the kids is a must! Thankfully there are so many things to do.
Plus you can see the magic of the season through their eyes!
105. Write a Letter to Santa. This needs to be done in the first part of December in time to reach the North Pole.
106. Make Reindeer Food. Fruit and vegetables make a great snack for the reindeer, so it’s easy to do this activity with your kids. You can also experiment with adding different spices into the mix such as cinnamon or nutmeg.
107. Watch the Holiday Funny Movie Marathon. This is a fun way to spend a cold or hot day. Pick out some of your favorite hilarious movies and get cozy in front of the TV! Laugh til you drop!
108. Make Winter Slime. Yes, every kids LOVES slime and what is better than just slime… WINTER SLIME! Pick up Iceberg Frozen Winter Slime for your kid’s Christmas Party.
109. Host a Kid’s Christmas Party. This is something we have done every year is to host a kid’s Christmas party. It is a simple and festive way to share in the Christmas season. Provide some simple Christmas crafts, hot chocolate (with marshmallows of course), and easy snacks.
110. Sing Christmas Carols. This is a fun family activity that will make you feel festive!
111. Visit Santa. This is an old-fashioned tradition that never gets old. Visit Santa and find out if you have been naughty or nice!
112. Make Paper Snowflakes. This activity is a must for kids. Simple and easy to make. Plus they will get lost in the activity for hours! Find paper snowflake ideas.
113. Make Rudolph Pancakes. One easy way to make your Christmas bucket list more fun is by adding some creative and festive tasks to ordinary things like making pancakes.
114. Talk to Santa Claus. It’s hard to believe, but there are actually people who talk to Santa every year and make sure he has everything he needs for Christmas Eve. You can talk to him on the phone or online, and it’s a great way for your kids to get in touch with their inner child.
115. Go for a Christmas Scavenger Hunt. This is a great family activity that will have your kids having fun and learning at the same time. You can make it as easy or as hard for them to complete, depending on their age.
116. Make a Christmas wish list and check it twice. Have the kids pick out gifts they would like for themselves as well as give to others.
117. Have a Holiday Movie Night with your Friends and Family. Make some popcorn, grab your favorite movie, and cuddle up on the couch for an evening of laughter!
Holiday Bucket List to Help Others
You don’t have to be a millionaire philanthropist to help others in your community. You can make a difference by doing small things that will go unnoticed, but still, provide assistance for those who need it.
118. Participate in Random Acts of Kindness. This is a fun way to do something nice for someone else this Christmas. It’s also a great opportunity to practice your own “random acts of kindness” you want to give back in the new year.
119. Polar Plunge: A Fun and Festive Way to Help Others. Create a team of people who will pledge money for every degree the temperature drops below freezing! Make sure to follow through and take the polar plunge!
120. Donate to a Food Bank. Make a donation to your local food bank or homeless shelter in order to help those who are less fortunate during this time of year. This is a perfect way to help those in need in the wintertime and continue the tradition year round!
121. Be Someone’s Secret Santa. This is a fun and heartwarming tradition that works well for your whole family. It’s simple, too: just give out the names of people you would like to be Santa Claus for in December and tell them not to let the person know who you are.
122. Donate Toys. There are a ton of organizations that accept donations of toys or other items. Find the best charities to donate your old toys and help those in need this holiday season!
123. Make a Financial Contribution to a Nonprofit. Most nonprofits receive the majority of their financial donations in the last months of the year. Maybe see if you could make it a part of your biweekly budget and give more often.
124. Visit the Animal Shelter for a pet adoption event. It’s not just cats and dogs that need homes on Christmas Eve! Many of our furry friends are forgotten about this time of year. Stop by a local animal shelter.
125. Adopt a Family for Christmas. If you’re not into the whole Santa Claus thing, why not take it upon yourself to give back to the community? Adopt a family for Christmas by purchasing gifts, food, and necessities that they might not otherwise have. There are many families in need this time of year and it’s truly an act of love and kindness to give back in this way.
126. Give the gift of music. If you’re a musician or know someone who is, offer to play at a nursing home or assisted living facility on Christmas Eve. If you’re not a musician, sponsor the music of a local choir or orchestra.
127. Give the Gift of a Smile. Visit an elderly neighbor and say hi. Smile to the person behind you in line. It takes more muscles to frown than smile.
128. Pick a Tag from a Giving Tree. Many companies set up a tree with tags of people who are in need. Then, their employees can pick a tag and purchase the selected item.
129. Baking for Others: A Fun Way to Help Others. Bake for someone in your neighborhood and donate the ingredients to an organization that feeds people in need!
130. Pray for Peace and Happiness. Don’t stop praying during these hard times. Pray for peace, happiness and prosperity around the world.
Something Else for Holiday Bucket List Items
These are the ones that are still awesome ideas but don’t fit in the above categories!
131. Empty your Christmas Schedule. This is a great way to destress, especially if you have been stressing about your holiday season.
132. Start Dreaming About Your New Year’s Resolutions. This one is my favorite! I love rolling over to a new year with fresh dreams.
133. Grab your Yearly Planner before January 1st. Yes! Especially with supply chain issues, I recommend getting your yearly planner in advance. Here is the current yearly planner I use.
134. Create Your Own Advent Calendar. It’s easy to create your own advent calendar. Use a simple white board and some markers to create your own countdown to Christmas.
Christmas Bucket List for Couples
These are the top 10 ideas from above just for couples!
Ice Skating at Night
Kiss Under the Mistletoe
Go on a Sleigh Ride
Romantic Movie Night
Catch a Snowflake on Your Tongue
Enjoy A Fireside Cuddle
Leisurely Stroll on a Snowy Mountain Area
Escape for a Night Away
Volunteer Together
Dream About Your Future
Christmas Bucket List Template
Okay, we gave you TONS OF IDEAS!
There is absolutely no way you can accomplish them all in one Christmas season.
So, here is a template to use to pick your top 25 activities to complete.
If you’re like us then setting up the tree is something that you always look forward to. From decorating the tree, baking cookies, and watching movies under it with your family this Christmas is sure to be a magical time for all of us!
What are some tips for creating an ultimate Christmas bucket list?
There are a few things to keep in mind when creating your ultimate Christmas bucket list.
First, make sure that it includes experiences that you will really enjoy. This is not the time for obligation or duty–the list should be filled with activities that you and your loved ones will love doing together.
Second, try to include a variety of different types of activities, from traveling and vacationing to visiting new places and trying out new experiences.
And finally, don’t forget to add some classic holiday traditions as well!
KEY TIP… Plan Your Day Ahead: What are you going to do tomorrow?
How can you make your Christmas bucket list more meaningful?
When it comes to the holidays, many people want to do as much as they can.
The Christmas bucket list is often a great way to make sure that you’re able to check off all of the items on your wish list. But sometimes, we can become overwhelmed by all of the things that we want to do. This year, consider making your bucket list more meaningful by doing activities that will bring you happiness and joy.
Idea #1 – Be Happy
One way to make your Christmas bucket list more meaningful is by only including activities that truly make you happy.
For example, if decorating the tree or going shopping for presents isn’t really your thing, then don’t put them down as items that you have to do this year! Instead, focus on doing things like baking cookies with loved ones or taking a walk in the snow.
Idea #2 – Spend Time Together
Another way to make your holiday season more special is by spending time together over a fire. Whether you build one in your backyard or take advantage of one at a local park, this is a great opportunity for conversation and reflection.
Consider lighting the fireplace and reading a good book together–or having some deep conversations about what’s been going on in each other’s lives!
Idea #3 – Make an Advent Calendar
Making your own advent calendar is a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. You can make it as simple or as complex as you want, but the key is to include activities that will get you excited for the holiday season.
For example, one day you might do an act of service for someone else, and on another day you might bake cookies!
Now, start brainstorming ideas with your family and friends.
Idea #4 – Get Prepared
Take time to figure out what kind of holiday experience you want, which helps narrow down the items on your bucket list.
Another way to make your Christmas bucket list more special is by preparing for Christmas Eve the night before. One great idea is to create a box filled with all of the things you’ll need for the following day. This could include pajamas, breakfast foods, and even some presents!
Use the printable to prioritize which activities your family would like to do during the holidays.
Idea #5 – Make it Personal
Finally, why not add a personal touch to your Christmas this year?
Make your list as personal and meaningful to you as possible by only including activities that are important.
Instead of using store-bought wreaths and ornaments, try making them yourself! There are endless possibilities when it comes to homemade decorations, so get creative and have some fun!
This isn’t the time to make your season harder – only what you want to do.
What are some things you can do to make your Christmas bucket list more exciting?
There are many ways to make your Christmas bucket list more exciting!
One way is to add a variety of activities, from festive traditions to outdoor adventures.
You can also mix up the type of activities so that you have something for everyone in the family. Additionally, you can make a point to do new things every year and keep your bucket list updated.
This will help ensure that you have an enjoyable and memorable Christmas season.
What are some tips for making your Christmas bucket list more fun for everyone?
One way to make your Christmas bucket list more fun for everyone is to try and do something that is meaningful and fun for everyone in your family.
This could be anything from spending time by the Christmas tree together, to doing random acts of kindness this holiday season!
A great tip would be to have everyone include their top three ideas that make the family Christmas bucket list.
All in all, you want to start Christmas traditions that the whole family looks forward to each and every year. This may be as simple as starting a new family tradition or making homemade gifts for your friends and neighbors.
Which Holiday Activities do you Need & Love?
So many ideas, right?
Your head may be spinning, but only put the holiday activities on your list that you want to do.
If you’re looking for something special to do this year, consider checking out one of the many Christmas productions around the country. From The Nutcracker to A Christmas Carol, there’s something for everyone.
And don’t forget about all of the amazing light displays – they’re definitely worth seeing!
It’s the most wonderful time of year, so you might as well make your family traditions more exciting by adding some creative tasks to what is normally a boring list of chores.
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? I’d love to hear about them!
For more inspiration, check out our Christmas Pinterest board.
Merry Christmas!
Also, it might be time to start thinking about what do I want for Christmas?
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!