The Ants That Saved Christmas

‘Once upon a time, Christmas was an expensive time of the year and come the new year, the bills were piled up. I waited for January bills with baited breath wondering how bad the damage would be.’

This was my story decades ago and I realised I wasn’t alone when I spoke to people about my experience. Christmas is an exciting time when we love to be generous with family, friends, neighbours and ourselves. This generosity conveys the message of the season but it comes at a price.

One summer day, I saw some ants carry an item and it fascinated me. I watched the big load compared to their body size, observed their perseverance and how they would take a rest but keep going until they got to their destination.

I also knew that they did not come out in the winter so whatever they stored in the warmer months had to last them through winter. As I observed their tiny body, I pondered on the size of an ant’s brain. I thought about how minuscule it must be; yet they knew enough to store up food for their winter season.

So I asked the question, ‘why is post Christmas a financially challenging time for many, including me?’ My rationale was if the ant, small as it was, could plan, what was my excuse for not planning?

I discussed this challenge with my work colleagues at the bank and heard about a Christmas savings club so we started our own.

This meant each November, we had enough money to absorb our expenses and start the new year without any undue financial stress.

This does not only apply to Christmas expenses, it includes any other events that we know are coming and have time to prepare for including retirement and old age.

Many have annual expenses including rents and school fees, so what plans do you put in place to even out the burdens of these ‘known and expected’ spikes?

There will be unexpected expenses that take us by surprise, but we can’t afford to be surprised by ‘expected’ expenses.

Here’s what I learnt

Pause and Pivot

We need to ‘pause and pivot’ some times. For me it happened as I observed the ants. I decided something had to change: I had to change, no more excuses.

‘Pause and pivot’ is an opportunity to reflect, be honest about our current choices or situations and make necessary changes. It’s never too late to do a ‘Pause and Pivot’’.

Prepare for a rainy day while it is sunny

There’s a right time and way to prepare so we can weather storms better. For me and my colleagues, we needed to spend less through the first 11 months to absorb the additional cost of the 12^th month.

This required ongoing discipline.

Persevere through the process

The ants showed dogged determination to achieve their goal. We need to do the same because life happens; and there will be times when we feel like giving up, diverting our savings, or stopping our efforts completely.

Sometimes it’s unavoidable but we must recognise when we are taking the path of least resistance.

Have faith

The size of what the ants carry speak of self-belief. The task always appears too big and impossible, sometimes more ants join in the task and ultimately they get the job done.

What you need to do might seem too big but you must have faith in yourself and your abilities to figure out a solution to get it done.

Collaboration is key

If I had set up a personal Christmas account, chances are high that I might have dipped into it for other reasons. Because of the team effort, I was spurred on by others with similar goals.

Sometimes collaboration will come in the form of working with others on the same goal. At other times, it will come in the form of people working alongside you on their own goals with lessons and encouragements shared making the process easier for all.

As we get ready for the second half of the year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the changes we need to make and get on with them.

Have a great week. Thanks for reading my post and don’t forget to share it.