Holiday Shopping Tips
Saving for the Holidays
The Holidays are a time for family gatherings, gift buying, and great food, which are all great in moderation. Fitness clubs have the highest memberships in the month of January, and credit card companies love the purchases made on their cards during the holidays. This year, enjoy knowing that you have the tools necessary to pay cash for Christmas gifts, food, and travel. Here are a few tips to budgeting a “cash only” Holiday Season.
- Begin saving now for Christmas shopping and Holiday activities. Starting in July would be ideal, but now is better than later.
- Create a list of people you would like to give gifts to and assign each person a dollar amount.
- Shop early, before the Holiday rush. Shopping early allows more opportunities to find deals.
- Make any Holiday travel arrangements early. Be flexible on dates and times you are willing to travel.
- Think outside of the box for gift ideas like a free night of babysitting or one house cleaning.
- Stick to your budget.
- Cut costs when planning family outings. Attend concerts and activities provided by the community. (Some are free).
This Holiday season, avoid using credit at all. That includes applying for new lines of credit, small loans, or credit cards. Stop the Holiday overspending trend, and live in moderation.
Best wishes as you continue working to become debt free. It’s not always easy, but in the end it will be well worth your effort.
If you have any questions, would like to discuss your financial challenges, or are just looking for advice, please contact us at your convenience. As always, we are here to help you and look forward to hearing from you.
1-877-OUT-DEBT (688-3328)
Debt Reduction Services and the National Financial Education Center
Financial Educator, Facilitator, Lecturer, Speaker
A Certified Personal Financial Counselor, Todd Christensen, M.A. is Director of Education for the non-profit National Financial Education Center at Debt Reduction Services Inc, served as President of the Idaho Financial Literacy Coalition from 2006 until 2009, and was asked in 2009 to serve on the Council for Certification of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.