Even though not everyone celebrates Christmas, nearly every profession gets that day off. You might spend the time with your family, celebrating, relaxing, or taking a vacation.
Many individuals also receive a Christmas bonus. Whether you will get one and how much it will be often depend on what sort of work you do and how long you have been with your company.
There are several ways you can spend this yearly windfall well. We’ll talk about some of them here.
Pay Off Debt
Some Americans are debt-free, but they are in the minority. Far more have debts stemming from credit card purchases, student loans, vehicle loans, etc.
It might not be the most exciting idea to spend your Christmas bonus paying off one or more of these debts, but it’s prudent. You can see the impact a lump sum payment will have on your remaining debt by using a loan payoff calculator.
If you put your Christmas bonus toward a loan or item on which you keep making payments, you might be able to erase the debt entirely. Even if you can’t do that, you may be able to pay it off much faster than you otherwise could. That’s a Christmas present for yourself that you’ll surely appreciate later in the year.
Invest
You might also consider using the money from your Christmas bonus to invest in your future. You can use it to add to an existing investment portfolio, or now might be the perfect time to create one.
You might invest in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or cash equivalents. You can do a little research to learn about each one of these. If you don’t know much about this sort of thing, it helps to talk to someone in your family who does or reach out to a financial advisor.
Travel
Maybe you feel like you’re at a point in your life where you’d prefer to spend that money rather than invest it or use it to pay off any outstanding debts. If so, travel might emerge as a suitable option as you think about what to do with it.
Perhaps there is somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. It could be an American city that welcomes tourism, like New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, or Las Vegas. Perhaps international travel appeals more to you, and you might book a trip to London, Tokyo, or Paris.
How much money you get as a bonus will certainly impact this decision. If you have a family, you will also need to consider how much it will cost to take them along, taking flights, hotels, and other expenses into account.
Home Improvements
Another more practical use for that money might be spending it on home improvements. If you own a house or condo, there are almost always ways you can improve it. If you rent an apartment, then this option doesn’t make as much sense since upgrades should be your landlord’s responsibility.
As a homeowner, you might choose to put that bonus toward installing a new roof, or decide you want to expand a half bathroom into a full one by installing a shower.
Home improvements are something that you can enjoy while you live in that house, and they’ll also improve the property’s eventual resale value if you decide to move on. Smaller Christmas bonuses can be used for minor projects while larger ones toward more substantial repairs or upgrades.
The Bottom Line
Whatever you choose to do with your Christmas bonus, you should enjoy this time of year with your loved ones. You’ve earned this respite, and there’s no telling what fun experiences and opportunities the impending new year will bring.
