Peyton Manning has a team to support him and a MVP teammate, so who is going to have your back as you get your game plan together for this super weekend?
Never fear, your Life Planning Financial Advisor wingman has your back.
It is 8:00am Friday morning and you better have your game plan together or the consequences could be life altering. In case you have slipped into a Mardi Gras hangover and missed that this week was the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday, and a THREE DAY VALENTINES WEEKEND. Only thing missing is a Full Moon and Cam Newton at the press conference.
Yes, THIS WEEKEND – I know that it is only one day however from fall of the advertisements that are either on the TV or in your email, this holiday has turned into the Bermuda Triangle of opportunities. Don’t mess up with your significant other and blow your financial budget into more pieces than the confetti that fell on the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos.
In doing my public service to keep your Chase Sapphire or Amex Platinum card from being completely crushed, I offer a game plan to make this weekend a success financially and good for the relationship.
Friday or before – If you are just getting started today, you are behind. Can you recover? Maybe, yet you are going to have to use more time and resources than being prepared and planned for the last couple weeks.
The Valentines Weekend is starting today and I have the plan to make it work. Like all great game plans that will make an impact, you need to be able to Omaha this and audible if the situation requires.
Rules for my game plan are to give the most of what you have and keep your finances from blowing up.
For me there are a few NO’s
1. Valentines Dinner at a restaurant – This is like going to Central Market on Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Yes, you can get fed, but romantic? Not a chance. It makes dining on the Titanic have a better ending.
2. Roses – NO, especially stopping at the Kroger on the way home and buying from the tent in the parking lot. This says, oh I realized I should do this, but I made it look like I was stopping to fill up with gas and picked up roses. Go to Dr. Delthinium in Richardson and buy an Orchid. Lasts longer and says you have some sense about you.
3. Victoria’s Secret – At one point in time this store was unique and different. Now is it mass produced and while she will smile and giggle, what she is thinking is “how lame”. Don’t do it!
The game plan for a successful Valentines Weekend
(If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you can watch it play out in Technicolor and #hashtags this #VDW2016)
Friday – Go to any card shop and buy a Valentine’s Day card. Get one for your mom and your children. Stop by a Starbucks, pickup a gift card, and drop them into the mail. If the US Post Office will cooperate, you will have them reach their destination on Saturday.
Bonus Points – Send your significant other one in the mail. When is the last time you got a card in the mail from your SO? Double Bonus points – include a gift card for them for something that is ALL about THEM.
Friday Night – Keep it low key. Takeout, Netflix and a simple night in. This is where you set the tone for the weekend. Lay out the game plan for Saturday Morning. Men are visual, just ask Hugh Hefner, so get your graphics together and cut and paste a day’s itinerary with pictures. Copy, paste, and print are the skills required.
Saturday Morning – This is when you get to give, give and give. A quick lite breakfast at home (a bagel, an English muffin or fruit – you just need to make sure that the house is stocked) and then off for a walk, a run, or an exercise class together. This could be the time for a surprise gift of a Fitbit Alta for the both of you to keep your 2016 fitness plan working together.
My plan is a morning run together at White Rock Lake. The weather is supposed to be sunny and cool just perfect for getting sweaty together.
Stop for a quick breakfast, either Taco Joint or Buzzbrews, but leave the phone in the car. Conversation is the main event on the menu. This is when the rest of the day’s plan gets to come together.
Our plan is to head to Jimmy’s Food Store, it is like taking a step back in time. Here you can browse together (without your phone) and purchase the evening’s meal. For us it will be Tagliatelle Pasta with Bolognese sauce, and fresh bread. Remember the highlight of the evening is conversation and giving your time and listening. For starters, stop by the deli counter and get a few meats and cheeses to go with your Lamarca Prosecco. Get your fresh New York imported pasta, bread, tiramisu for desert, and the wine and you are almost ready to go.
But wait before you go, stop and order a takeout sandwich to go and get an espresso at the counter.
Off to the car and a trip home buzzed from the espresso!
Spend the afternoon cooking together and enjoying each other. If you are not empty nesters and have children at home, then your Friday afternoon trip needs to be to Michaels Craft Store to buy colored paper to make “Mom” handmade Valentine’s Day Cards. BIG points can be scored here if you send your SO off to have her own time and you and your children surprise her with these homemade cards. Who needs the children to make a homemade card?
The success in this plan just like any plan is being prepared for those unexpected diversions and staying focused on the goal.
Give your time, your heart, your stomach and the result will be a FULL wallet this Valentine’s Day Weekend.
Let me see how your Valentine’s Day plan came together in pictures, I look forward to sharing mine with you!
Michael Tannery CPA CDFA™ AIF® ● CEO
Registered Principal
Be A Financial Olympian
