The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner, and with that comes the holiday tradition of gift giving! This blog is a guide to saving money and staying on top of your budget during the holiday season, as well as ways to make sure you’re getting the best deals on the most popular gifts for this year. From ways to cut unnecessary costs to making sure your budget has everything accounted for, there’s a lot of ways to protect your finances this holiday season.
Make a List, Check it Twice
While it may seem like a fun idea to hand out presents like Saint Nick himself, making a list of who you plan on giving a gift to ahead of time and sticking to it will help you budget more than anything else. Knowing who you’re giving to is essential, because it allows you to set a budget for each person, as well as a total budget for everybody on your “nice” list.
Sticking to a budget is a great way to keep your finances in shape during the holidays. Plus, in a situation where you add somebody to your gift list, it’s easy to look at the total amount you’re spending and adjust your individual budgets accordingly to keep your total the same.
Plan, Plan, and Plan
Getting your list of gift recipients together means you’re over the river, but you’re not through the woods yet. It’s important to remember to budget for other holiday expenses, like wrapping paper, shipping for your long distance loved ones, and holiday meals—especially if you plan on hosting guests!
An additional detail to consider that should go without saying: if you think you’ve nailed your holiday budget and are ready to start spending, consider ordinary spending too. Do you have enough set aside to put gas in your car? Food in the pantry? It may seem obvious, but keep tabs on your regular expenses throughout the holiday season.
Watch for Bargains
To really maximize your savings, start checking out deals in stores and online as soon as possible. If you play your cards right, you can have your holiday shopping done before December even begins. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, there are plenty of opportunities to find this year’s hottest games, gadgets, and goodies.
An added benefit of online shopping is skipping the lines and crowds on Black Friday. You’ll get to spend the weekend after Thanksgiving hanging out with your family and heating up turkey day leftovers knowing that you’ve got everybody’s shopping wrapped up from the palm of your hand.
Your holiday shopping is guaranteed to go over smoothly thanks to a clearly defined budget and gift recipient list. With your finances out of the way, you can pour time into what really matters this holiday season: spending time with your friends and families and celebrating all of the good the previous year brought with it. For more ways to enjoy your holiday season, be sure to Like Lennar on Facebook.
