About Benton County, MO

This holiday season, many homeowners are trying to keep their heads above the rough waters of the housing market and our nation's economy. So, there's no better time than now to share some tips that can help you have a debt free holiday.

Begin by making a list of who you will buy for. This will help you keep track of those you are buying for when shopping. As you buy for someone on your list, mark them off. There's nothing worse than buying five gifts for one family member and only two for another. Also, set your spending limits for each person before you shop. This will help you stay in your financial spending range without over-spending. Sometimes you will find the perfect gift for someone and it's over your spending limit, but you can always lower the limit of someone else on your list. If needed, you can always adjust your spending limit as you go. And be sure to always write down how much you spent per gift by each person's name on your list to make it easier to keep up with your spending.

Take heed of how you pay. If you absolutely have to pay by credit card, take only one with you. Otherwise, try your best to use cash, checks or your debit card. Using the cash method is the best way to help keep you in check of your budget. Avoiding credit cards will make those large January credit card bills disappear.

When low on your finances, consider some alternatives. From time-to-time, we all come to a point when we just don't have it in our budget to buy gifts for our loved ones. However, there are different ways to show someone you love them other than gift giving. One of the best gifts to give someone is your time. Ask your loved one to have lunch or dinner with you one day. Another idea for very inexpensive gifts is baking. You can always bake little treats and give them out. It shows your loved ones you actually spent the time to make them.

Make sure you are taking care of yourself. Many people get depressed during the holidays and go on spending sprees because they think it will make them feel better. So, if you find yourself feeling blue, stop and take note of your emotional or physical state. Are you getting enough sleep, exercise or personal time? Taking a nap during the day will help with sleep, and taking a long walk always helps boost the emotions. And remember that over-spending will only make you feel worse, later.

Many of us don't know the certainty of our financial state for the next holiday season. So it's a good idea to plan ahead for next year. Every time you go shopping, pick up something you think a loved one will enjoy receiving next year. Or, set aside a savings stash and add to it whenever you have a little extra money on hand. You can set a goal of how much you want to save and add to it weekly or monthly. You will definitely enter the next holiday season more than ready.

More tips and advice for homeowners

Missouri real estate

Lake of the Ozarks real estate

Homes for Sale

Lake of the Ozarks Realtors® Sharon and Crist Fanning

Christmas and New Year's celebrations really bring out the best in people, especially in the Lake of the Ozarks residents. To show just how much the community looks forward to these two celebrations, there will be several events taking place this month. When we found out about these great events, we decided to compile a list and share them.

Lake of the Ozarks is a tight knit community with wonderful residents, a good economy, awesome schools, and plenty of recreation. So, if you are looking to relocate in the near future, come to Lake of the Ozarks during the Holiday season and you will see just how great it really is.

Christmas Celebrations:

· December 3 - Christmas Craft Party & Cookie Swap at the Camden County Museum .

· December 4-6 - Christmas Play at the Sunrise Beach Community Theater.

· December 5 - Supper with Santa at the Camden County Museum . Free event.

· December 5 - Eldon Old Fashioned Christmas in downtown Eldon. Free event.

· December 5-6 - Royal Theatre Christmas Parade at the Royal Theater. Free event.

· December 6 - Christmas Parade on the Square on the Camdenton Square . Free event.

· December 6 - Christmas Dance at the Camden County Museum , with music by the Lake Jazz band.

· December 13 - Children's Play at the Camden County Museum .

· December 13 & 20 - Breakfast with Santa at the Lodge of Four Seasons. Join Santa and his little helpers for cookie decorating, holiday crafts, storytelling, face painting, pictures with Santa, and a breakfast buffet. Free event.

· December 13 - Lake of the Ozarks Christmas Parade at Bagnell Dam Strip. Free event.

· December 16 - Dogwood animal shelter pajamas and pancakes at On the Rise Bakery.

· December 17 - Distribution of Trees and Wreaths at the Camden County Museum . Free event.

· December 25 - Christmas Day Buffet at Tan Tar A.

New Year's Celebrations:

· December 31 - New Year's Eve Celebration and Fireworks at Horny Toad Complex. Free event.

· December 31 - New Year's Eve Celebration at Tan Tar A. Free event.

· December 31 - New Year's Eve on the Lake Celebration at Kirkwood Lodge. Celebrate your New Year's Eve on the Celebration Cruise Ship. Free event.

· December 31 - Lake of the Ozarks New Year's Party at the Lodge of Four Seasons. 10:00 pm. Free event.

· December 31 - Captain Ron's 3^rd Annual New Year's Eve Gala at Captain Ron's Bar and Grill at 6:00 pm. Make your dinner reservations now. Dinner menu will be complete with party favors and champagne at midnight.

We are sure many of you will be so busy you won't be able to attend every celebration, but hopefully you will get to make it to many of them. There are several that will be great for the whole family.

Lake of the Ozarks Real Estate

Lake of the Ozarks Communities

Lake of the Ozarks Homes for Sale

Lake of the Ozarks Area Schools

Lake of the Ozarks Realtors® Sharon and Crist Fanning

What's new in LOTO (Lake Of The Ozarks) Missouri - The Fannings have joined the Blog World!

Now why on earth, do real estate agents in a resort community want to blog? For us it is the opportunity to "meet" new friends, share information on what we feel is the greatest real estate in the United States, Lake of the Ozarks, our home town and Benton County real estate in the great and beautiful State of Missouri.

By blogging we also are able to social network with our peers expanding our knowledge and expertise. Agents who are at the top of their field professtionally are those that step out of their comfort zones and take the next step forward. The Internet and blogging are part of the 21st Century and a newer part of the real estate industry. It would be remiss of us not to go forward.

We are hoping that you will enjoy the comunity information we will provide, the local stories we may tell, the local heroes and news we may feature. We will be sharing real estate information, market conditions and real estate news on a local and national level.

Please come back often and be sure to leave comments so that we can answer any questions you may have and the feedback will also help us know what to feature in our Blogs.

Looking forward to "speaking at" you Crist and Sharon.