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Suzy Kahati

It’s now after the Chagim, so how is your bank account?

We have just finished the festival of Sukkot which for most marks the end of the summer heat and we look forward to autumn’s cooler weather.

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The custom for celebrating Sukkot is to move into a temporary dwelling, a sukkah.  We decorate it with pictures and install some furniture, possibly from the house. It is also customary for religious men to actually sleep in the Sukkah, I think that this year they might have been drenched by the early rainfalls.

What is interesting, is the enthusiasm the nation has for this wonderful festival.  We enjoy eating outside in a temporary hut instead of eating in our air-conditioned house. We bring food up and down the stairs and we are limited to the amount of guests we can invite.  For those who sleep in the sukkah, they give up the luxury of sleeping in the own beds, in their bedrooms, in the peace and quiet of their own homes.

However, when we celebrate Sukkot I do not hear people complaining about the all the organization around it or the fact that they have to step down in their living standards throughout the week, or the hardships of having to go up and down the stairs just for a piece of cake with a cup of coffee.  Why is that? Apart from it being the custom of Sukkot, the reason we grin and bear it the fact that it is TEMPORARY, at the end of the week we go back to living normally again.

During the chagim on average most of us put on an extra 4kgs, AND, most of the population will also go into OVERDRAFT. The chagim bring heavy expenses, the kids are home from school, entertaining family and friends, Lulav and Etrog, trips on Chol Hamoed, to name just a few reasons.

In order to gain control over your expenses and once again become debit free, start off by reviewing your income and expenses and see where the money is being allocated.  Decide on what sum you need to allocate each month in order to cover the overdraft.

In order to get back to the plus, set yourself a time limit for this task; did you know that if you set a time limit it is proven that you will more likely to accomplish it?  The reason being is that it is a TEMPORARY situation and not a permanent one.

Tip: try lowering your food bill for the next couple of months. With a little effort you can save on this major expense.

Or look for other places in your budget where you can save e.g.entertainment and clothing budgets.

Budgeting is a skill that needs to be mastered, so if you need some assistance, please contact me for a FREE TELEPHONE CONSULTATION on 054-4217207.  Web: suzykahati.com

About the Author
Suzy Kahati was born in London, UK and made Aliyah in 1983. She is divorced with three wonderful daughters and lives in the center of Israel.