The holidays season is synonymous with spending in many countries, including our own. Gift-giving, family, friends and work parties are customary for many of us. How do you partake in holiday celebrations without emptying your wallet? Let’s not create an unnecessary stress for ourselves. I will give you a few ideas that could help you survive and even thrive during this time of year. Following these principals will help guide your every decision.
Prioritizing
There are a few questions that could help guide your spending over the holidays. What do you value? What does gift-giving mean to you? What does the holidays represent for you? What are your needs during this time of year?
Budgeting For Holidays Gifts
Determining what you can really afford will help prevent nasty surprises in your January credit card bills. Go over your regular day-to-day budget and figure out how much money is leftover for your holiday spending. If you haven’t determined your regular budget yet, don’t worry, just estimate for this year but do think of sitting down to create a budget that will help you follow your spending in the future.
List-making
Making a list of the people you want to get a special treat to, is important for many reasons. This can help ensure that you have included everyone, but it can also help you see if your list is too long, or unrealistic. If you want more information on list-making for the holiday season, the blog : avoiding impulse-shopping during the holiday season addresses how to make a good holiday list.
Planning The Holidays
Planning is important in many aspects of our lives. Never more than during a busy, temptation filled holiday season! Taking the time to plan things out will not only make you more likely to respect your set budget but will make you more effective as well. No need to go back to the store or back on the website because you forgot one item on you list. Getting yourself back on that website or in that store puts you in serious risk of spending more than just that item. Optimizing your shopping means increasing your chances of success.
Shopping
This step should be undertaking well before the actual purchase. Price checking, deals and coupons are all things that could help you drive the price down. Don’t overlook the importance of good research to compare product quality and reviews. These factors will inform your decision-making. Before getting to the cash register or checkout, make sure you have considered your priorities, budget, list and planning.