Over-spending during the holidays might seem to be a traditional inevitability, but consider the cost of overspending. If you don’t practice careful monetary control during such a season you could end up spreading yourself thin and not having a steady supply of cash ready when you really need it.
Yet, there are easy ways to make sure you stay on budget even during holiday season. Let’s go over some simple tips on how to cap your spending this holiday season to ensure you remain financially secure.
Develop a Holiday Budget
Developing a separate budget for holiday expenses is the best way to maintain target spending goals. You’ll essentially give yourself a spending limit from the start that you can follow. This will also help you prioritize what you spend the money on such as gifts, insurance payments, and seasonal supplies. You can always change the amount you allocate to certain things but with the budget will provide a general sum to work with. If you find that you have money left to spend you can use it, but by setting a spending limit you ensure you’re not wasting important funds.
Create Spending Lists
Lists don’t just work for Santa, they can help keep you on track of your spending habits and prioritize what you buy. It’s a simple tip, but consider the amount of organization this will bring you during the seasonal rush. The easiest way to lose money any time of year is not keeping track what’s being spent. A detailed spending list can eliminate this issue right away. Keep track of what you spend on and whether it was within the financial requirements you allocated for said item.
Creating two spending lists might also be highly effective for avoiding over-spending. Create a list of essential spending that is separate from a wish list and you’ll be able to balance business and pleasure finances.
Use Cash
Using cash for your Christmas shopping is a good way to track and enforce the financial limitations you’ve set for yourself. If you’ve decided to spend a specific amount on a certain gift or item, withdraw enough cash to pay for it and that’s your budget for the item.
Look for Deals and Sales
Whether you’re a small business owner or just a frugal consumer, taking advantage of seasonal sales and incentives is an ideal way to get more for your money or gain the quality item you’ve been saving for. This might mean not buying everything you want, but rather a top-priority item that will be the most useful in the long run. For example, you might choose to buy fewer presents in order to divert funds for an interior remodeling project that will be less expensive in the winter season.
Sales events can be overcrowded but certainly worth your patience. Try to pinpoint when and where there’s a sale on or your desired item and arrive with plenty of time to take advantage of the lower costs. Sometimes saving money during holiday season is simply buying strategically and planning where to go for the optimal deal. Remember, saving time is saving money too!
