Any advice on Managing Your Money During The Holidays?

[vishenda]

credit card use--->Im worried about overspending again

wise buys come to me

[JanH]

What has helped me this year is my Christmas Club account. I finally did this. And I am using my CC online and Debit card in the stores. That way I am not using the CC so much. I have a spreadsheet with each person and their budgeted amount in each column. Then, I enter each gift amount (notate what it is) and subtract from their budgeted amount. I always overspend on each by the end of the season, so I thought that this way I could get myself to STOP at a certain amount. Then, Hubby set it up so that it would add the totals across the bottom and give me the amount left in my Christmas club. This way, I would include the credit card amounts also so I can pay that when it comes in and it is not a surprise to me. I have also included food and mailing costs. I take a list with me of what is left to buy, and hope that I don't hurt Hubby when he slaps my hand when I want to go overboard.....

[PRICEPLUS]

Make a list and check it twice. Buy only what is on list. Get out of the stores before the lure of buying overcomes you! Make sure you stay within budget and that the budget is reasonable!

[Snoopy2645]

Try to see what you can get for free heres some things I did I joined nascar points sight & got a free nascar clock for my nephew & a free nascar bathroom set for my brother, I got b1g1 free glade lightshow coupons & a rebate so I will get 2 free these will be gifts I did tons of these deals & for my oldest dd I already have 3 $10 pennies coupons & 1 $10 kohls I will use to buy her clothes. I got a ton of stuff for free at B&BW with coupons. And everyone is getting comforters I got oldest dd one for $5 on clearance & a bed set with one for $10 for my dh & I & got other dd the bedding set one for $25 & youngest one for $5. I got free coffees they will be gifts to my grandma & some other people. Just a few things I am doing & I havent spent much at all oh I did all the free things on BF too!!!!

[rduell]

I save money out of each paycheck all year long and that is the amount I have to spend on gifts. I divide that money by how many I'm buying for and that gives me my Christmas budget. Then I find gifts in that price range.

[fairy74]

Stay out of the stores as much as possible. If you have specific items, order them online with free shipping, that way the siren call of all the other junk in the store does not get to you. Keep your gift list as short as possible. Pay off any charges you make on the credit card the day you make them. If you must go to the actual store, use cash.

[MonkeyMama]

Do all your shopping in october/november - hehe. Too late I guess for this plan????

I haven't even really thought about christmas this month - all taken care of... I hate shopping though and am very happy to avoid all stores this month - phew.

[sparkysgirl]

I start shopping dec. 26 for the following year. I hit the target 75% off sale and the toys r us 90% off. my kids are 2 and 3 so I can get away with a few used toys (they dont' konw the difference and as long as we don't care why should they ) we got Dagan a leappad system for 15 bucks that came with 2 games versus paying 30 bucks just for the system.
We use our speedway points for giftcards for family. and use our walgreens rebates and put on the walgreens card with the extra 10% and buyy giftcards with that as well

[Elgin526]

I added up what I wanted to spend on each person I buy for, that is my total gift budget. I put that amount of money in my account linked to my debit card. I go shoping and buy all the gifts in one day (I have a list, that helps!), sticking to the budget, and that's that! I also include a little bit of money to buy myself something, since I'm bound to see something I want while I'm out, and hey, I earned it!

[Broken Arrow]

I have a separate, set holiday budget. Once that's spent, that's it. I buy no more.

[Snoopy2645]

Checking for sales online is a great idea I bought something online for about $25 new from TRU for dd free shipping & at kmart yesterday it was on clearance for $45 a I think I will take the online TRU deal LOL!!! Oh dh brought home a target gc work gave him so I will use that to finish my shopping we havent spent much at all this year I am so proud of us!!!

[Ima saver]

I save money out of each paycheck to cover gifts at christmas, so I don't have to charge anything.

[vishenda]

Originally Posted by MonkeyMama

Do all your shopping in october/november - hehe. Too late I guess for this plan????

I haven't even really thought about christmas this month - all taken care of... I hate shopping though and am very happy to avoid all stores this month - phew.

wow, how could you hate 'shopping"?

[rduell]

Originally Posted by MonkeyMama

Do all your shopping in october/november - hehe. Too late I guess for this plan????

I haven't even really thought about christmas this month - all taken care of... I hate shopping though and am very happy to avoid all stores this month - phew.

Me too!

[Aleta]

What I do is save a certain amount each month from Jan to June for Christmas. From July to December I save the same amount for vacation for the next year. Works out well for us.

[JoyJoy]

Shop early and pay off all Christmas credit card charges in or by December of the same year. Has worked for me for many years now. If I receive a tax refund come February, I know last Christmas's expenditures won't take it!

[vishenda]

Thanks for sharing your own practices, everything is well taken.
Merry Christmas

[markio26]

i do the same as brokenarrow... i set a limit and that is that.. i move on.........