The Holidays are expensive. Between gift buying, travel expenses, and other end-of-year costs, you can end up ringing in the New Year with a depleted savings account. But if you play your cards right, you may be able to offset some of that spending — and start the new year in a better financial position — thanks to an end-of-year bonus.

According to a survey from Accounting Principals, a year-end bonus is a possibility for many Americans. The survey found that in 2015, 67% of companies had plans to give holiday bonuses to employees, with an average bonus of $858. But while these are encouraging odds, how can you ensure that your boss recognizes your hard work and rewards it?

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Start by checking out these tips to help make sure you get the year-end bonus you deserve!

Keep Track of Your Successes

When it comes to any discussion of raises or bonuses, it’s important to have plenty of evidence of your value to the company. That way, when your boss asks why, specifically, you think you deserve a holiday bonus, you can present her with facts to support your proposition. Whenever you can, try to include numerical evidence to quantify your argument.

Be Willing to Volunteer for Extra Work

When the time comes for Holiday bonuses to be doled out, you want your boss to remember you as a team player, eager to do whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of the company. That means being the first one to volunteer to pick up any slack, cover any unexpected work, and assist the team at every given opportunity. According to Kim Gottschalk, Senior Regional Vice President at Accounting Principals, “Most companies are willing to reward their hardworking staff during the holidays as a way to thank them for their efforts throughout the year. Prove that you are a valuable employee that deserves a little extra recognition!”

Know How Your Company Handles Holiday Bonuses

Not every company even gives out Holiday bonuses, and those that do tend to have a variety of ways of going about it. Make sure you know your companies policy, and what exactly the bonuses are based on. Do the employees with the best numbers get the bonuses? Or is it up to the boss to decide who deserves a bonus? Priya Malani, an entrepreneur and partner at Stash Wealth, told Bustle that, “It’s your responsibility to know the competitive range for bonuses for your position within your industry — so do the research, or ask around. Be clear with your boss about your expectations and then, when the time is right, ask your boss if the company is looking to be on track for bonus season.”

Ask Directly

Matt McWilliams

Laura C. Browne, co-author of Raise Rules for Women: How To Make More Money At Worksays, “This may sound obvious but most people won’t do it. Ask your boss, ‘What can I do to help you so I can get a bonus this year?'” While this may sound intimidating, your boss will probably appreciate your initiative, and it ensures that they’re aware that you’d like to be considered for a bonus, making it more likely that they take notice of your hard work. However, it’s important not to present the idea as a demand, but to instead phrase it as a question of how you can further help the company, and in doing so earn the bonus.

A Holiday bonus can be a huge help that positively affects your life all year long, so it’s important to do everything you can now to ensure all the hard work you’ve done in the past year is rewarded!

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

string(5311) "
The Holidays are expensive. Between gift buying, travel expenses, and other end-of-year costs, you can end up ringing in the New Year with a depleted savings account. But if you play your cards right, you may be able to offset some of that spending — and start the new year in a better financial position — thanks to an end-of-year bonus.
According to a survey from Accounting Principals, a year-end bonus is a possibility for many Americans. The survey found that in 2015, 67% of companies had plans to give holiday bonuses to employees, with an average bonus of $858. But while these are encouraging odds, how can you ensure that your boss recognizes your hard work and rewards it? 
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 
Start by checking out these tips to help make sure you get the year-end bonus you deserve! 
Keep Track of Your Successes
When it comes to any discussion of raises or bonuses, it's important to have plenty of evidence of your value to the company. That way, when your boss asks why, specifically, you think you deserve a holiday bonus, you can present her with facts to support your proposition. Whenever you can, try to include numerical evidence to quantify your argument.
Be Willing to Volunteer for Extra Work
When the time comes for Holiday bonuses to be doled out, you want your boss to remember you as a team player, eager to do whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of the company. That means being the first one to volunteer to pick up any slack, cover any unexpected work, and assist the team at every given opportunity. According to Kim Gottschalk, Senior Regional Vice President at Accounting Principals, "Most companies are willing to reward their hardworking staff during the holidays as a way to thank them for their efforts throughout the year. Prove that you are a valuable employee that deserves a little extra recognition!"
Know How Your Company Handles Holiday Bonuses
Not every company even gives out Holiday bonuses, and those that do tend to have a variety of ways of going about it. Make sure you know your companies policy, and what exactly the bonuses are based on. Do the employees with the best numbers get the bonuses? Or is it up to the boss to decide who deserves a bonus? Priya Malani, an entrepreneur and partner at Stash Wealth, told Bustle that, "It's your responsibility to know the competitive range for bonuses for your position within your industry — so do the research, or ask around. Be clear with your boss about your expectations and then, when the time is right, ask your boss if the company is looking to be on track for bonus season." 
Ask Directly
Matt McWilliams
Laura C. Browne, co-author of Raise Rules for Women: How To Make More Money At Worksays, "This may sound obvious but most people won't do it. Ask your boss, 'What can I do to help you so I can get a bonus this year?'" While this may sound intimidating, your boss will probably appreciate your initiative, and it ensures that they're aware that you'd like to be considered for a bonus, making it more likely that they take notice of your hard work. However, it's important not to present the idea as a demand, but to instead phrase it as a question of how you can further help the company, and in doing so earn the bonus.
A Holiday bonus can be a huge help that positively affects your life all year long, so it's important to do everything you can now to ensure all the hard work you've done in the past year is rewarded! 
 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 
"

In this month’s Money Journal, Celia is organized and disciplined yet enjoys her life “to the Max” Welcome to Money Journal, a monthly Paypath series that examines how Americans really handle their finances. Our participants keep a journal of their earnings, spending, and savings (if any), then share what it’s like to live in their

Trying to cancel your gym membership can be more tiring than actually attending that kickboxing class you keep skipping. Getting out of your gym contract can be so tough that people are going to great lengths to avoid paying any penalties. After going into debt living a lifestyle she couldn’t afford, this woman forged fake

By Massimo Tornambe Scott Disick, aka “Lord Disick” has gained fame and a devoted following since his appearances on the reality show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Disick is renowned for his expensive taste in clothes, cars, and women. The question that millions of fans are asking is: where did his fortune come from? Scott

Who could live without online shopping? It’s a standard routine in so many households. Whether you’re stocking up on groceries, snagging the latest and greatest tech sensation, shopping for holiday gifts, or treating yourself to a new outfit, the convenience of buying this stuff while in your pajamas is hard to beat — at least

Everyone says the economy’s healthier than ever, but some of us still find it necessary to make that paycheck stretch…and stretch…and stretch. The better we understand our spending habits, the better we can manage them. Living frugally can benefit you in many ways. You’ll grow more self-reliant, creative, and resourceful as you learn to make

You’ve heard it a thousand times before. The holidays are about two things: giving and family…more specifically, giving to your family. And no one wants to be the Grinch. So we lavish gifts and good tidings on our families and friends. And it feels incredible when it comes to gift-giving — I’m insatiable. Spending on

Most parents welcome visits from their grown-up children. But what happens when the kids head back home when life gets rough and then never leave? This scenario is playing out more and more frequently as 20-something adults try to cope with – or hide from – skyrocketing costs in an increasingly expensive world. Lou Carloza

Imagine this: you marry the man of your dreams. You have two beautiful children with another on the way. You spend your days cooking gorgeous, nutritious meals for your family…. from scratch. You get paid to share your daily life and meals with people around the world. But here’s the catch: half of those people

If your business offers corporate credit cards or expense accounts to employees, there’s a good chance there is unethical spending going on. 33% of corporate credit card holders admit to blatantly defrauding the companies they work for, and twice that amount confess to making “risky purchases.” But a thread on AskReddit reveals some of the

You Lose $20K Each Year Just For Being a Mom You may not know this, but there was a time when smoking was considered “liberated” behavior for women. There was a cigarette company Virginia Slims that was created specifically to attract female smokers during the bad old 1970s. The slogan was “You’ve come a long