Ways to Save Money During the Holidays

Holidays are stressful enough on their own. Worrying about spending too much money doesn’t have to be. There are several ways to save money during the holidays. My favorite way to save is by making homemade gifts. Unfortunately everyone isn’t crafty. There is still hope for you!

First thing you need to do is make a budget. Easy enough! Decide how much you can comfortably spend without panic. Don’t forget about the little things. Holiday cards, wrapping paper, postage and whatever else you might need. Not just the gifts. Stay strong and stick to it.

Next make a list of the people you need to buy for. Once you determined your budget and your naughty or nice list, you can spread your budget out accordingly. Once again stick to that number. If you can’t afford to get someone that video game they really wanted, then don’t. Buy the second choice. They will still love it all the same.

Try to pay cash when you can. You don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of credit card debt. Life happens and you don’t want your credit tied up with something that wasn’t necessary. Plus paying cash will help you to visually see how much of your budget you have left. Then you can decide if you REALLY need the next few items on your list.

Make sure to add yourself to the budget. No, really! Often times when you are out shopping you might see something you just have to have, or a deal you can’t pass up on. This will prevent you from ever going over your budget. Genius right? Sometimes I have it in me.

Think about rather that person really needs those shoes, toys or anything else they are asking for. Think about where that item will be in 3 weeks from opening. The closet floor, toy box or somewhere else it won’t get touched or worn for long periods of time.

Buy items with coupons and sales. Everything goes on sale at one time or another. Stores will be competing to get your business and will want the most traffic. Give yourself plenty of time so you aren’t buying things at the last minute. We tend to settle for an item they normally wouldn’t buy because they are in a time crunch. It’s best to shop all year around so you can always find a great clearance deal.

I love shopping online. I can find so many deals and quicker than I would in the stores. Plus, I get to miss out on all the madness.

Think from the heart. All gifts don’t have to be store bought. Bake cookies or a nice dinner. I would be in heaven if someone brought me a dinner already made. People love knowing you thought about them, not how much you spent.