Holiday Spending

God's Warrior · Holiday Spending

Holiday Spending

Now is the time to begin thinking about your holiday gift list and the budget. What are some things you can do now and in the coming weeks to relieve yourself of the financial stress of the holiday season? With gas prices at very high rates, the Internet could be a means of shopping this holiday season. Not only can it be a great way to comparison-shop, but it also is a great way to often find better deals then you would find at a traditional outlet. However, when shopping online, be sure to understand the return and exchange policies. When shopping locally, calling before you shop can save you time and precious gas money.

People who use credit cards to purchase gifts tend to spend 30 percent more. Use a debit card instead of your credit card and you can force yourself to spend only what you have, thereby avoiding additional credit card debt. To keep yourself honest, leave your credit cards at home and only take your debit card with you -- that way you will not be tempted to use your credit card if you run out of money or fall in love with a gift not on your list.

Consider getting a holiday job. If your employer offers overtime, now is the time to take it to save for holiday shopping. Additionally, now is a great time to look for seasonal, part-time employment opportunities, as many retailers are in need of help. Use the weekend or evening earnings to pay for your holiday gifts.

shazbot3
A suggestion, if I may? As well as what Elena mentioned above-handmade items make fantastic Christmas gifts, and most cost very little to make.

I do it every year, and I find that folks really love the handmade items better than the purchased gifts. They're more personal in nature.

I always make my gifts with the recipient in mind, so that the gifts are tailored specifically for that person. Sometimes it's a little difficult-if you don't know the person very well-to find out their likes & dislikes. But with a little digging, a little extra perception on my part, or with the help of someone else who may know the person a little better, I usually am able to please most everyone.

It's fun, it's rewarding, and for me-it's sometimes therapy to craft things for folks. It can be as simple as a handmade greeting card to something more substantial like a cedar blanket chest;, it depends on the recipient, and the time you're willing to spend.

I know these things take a lot of time we don't have sometimes. But if we just made even a couple every year for those closest to us, you wouldn't believe the feeling of satisfaction it gives you Smile

Elena
Excellent suggestion! We used to do more of that than we do now. It is a habit that needs to be revived in our family. One thing that I do love doing, is creating works of art??? out of garage sale finds. Lots of times very neat things can be made out of the things that you can find at garage sales. This is not an original idea with me. I learned a very good lesson from a friend that scouts the sales every weekend and does this with her finds. She has such classy items when she completes them. She has booths in three or four very popular craft fairs in our area and makes a killing with her creations. I can't do nearly as well at the creativity part as she does, but I can do a few things with what I have found in the past.

Carol7
I've found that if I start shopping early I tend to save more because it gives me time to keep an eye out for sales in the Sunday paper flyers. I can space my spending over a period of a few months and get exactly what I was looking for instead of impulse buying at the last minute.

There's a small bank in the next county that still offers Christmas Club savings accounts. In fact, that's the only bank I know of in this area that has one. The interest you receive on the account may be small, but it's better than paying interest on a credit card.

Elena
You are so right on all you said, Carol. Impulse and panic buying is never good if you can avoid it.

shazbot3
I do the same thing with garage sale & thrift store items, Ellen. It's so much fun to take something drab & spruce it up to turn it into something wonderful Smile

I also do what you do, Carol. I shop ALL year long for the kids to get the best deals on stuff, and store it in the attic. But, I HAVE been known to forget where I put things sometimes. For example, last year I bought youngest DS a glass chess set. Come wrapping time I couldn't find the blasted thing, so he didn't get it.

I just finally found it a couple weeks ago, so now he'll get it for his birthday next Saturday, lol.

I LOVE to scour the clearance sales after Christmas, too.I get the best deals that way, and I usually always have something on hand in case I need an emergency gift for someone Smile

Aloe
I also tend to buy Christmas gifts all year round, like if I see something on sale or if we're on vacation and I see something.

I would give homemade gifts if I could make something useful. I figure that everyone else in my family is like me in that they don't have space for any more decorative junk. Plus, I don't really know that taste of most of my relatives. (I see them once a year at most and even then, they usually come over to my parents' house, I don't go to their house.) Plus, guys don't want that kind of stuff.

Elena
Tee hee! Guys surely don't! You got that right!

shazbot3
'Tis true. But a lot of the guys my DH works with have had me make them ski bands to keep their ears warm, and a couple have requested camouflage scarves for hunting.

I try to make my homemade gifts useful. I'm the same way, I have NO room for decorative stuff.All my junk like that is STILL packed away from when we moved home from Fla. 10 yrs ago, lol.

So, I try to make stuff folks can use, and once in awhile throw in a little frivolity Very Happy