How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

[LuxLiving]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

I put back some each month in the budget to pay for birthday gifts, Mother's Day, Father's Day, anniversary and Christmas and the occasional shower gift (not so many any more).

I also have a separate line item for Holiday Travel (gas, tolls, meals), which always used to catch me off guard - for even Mother's Day and Father's Day there is an additional 25-50.00 in expenses usually involved just getting there and back. For us our family is all within a day's drive so there is no overnight expense, but if there were I'd be budgeting for that motel stay as well.

[brizzad]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

I've got my ingdirect account set to take out $30 each week from my checking automatically. Come christmas time Ill have enough to buy presents and pay off my car loan finally.

[cashqueen]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

I save all year. I would LOVE to shop year round but everyone on our list is so freakin' hard to buy for that I just have no idea what to get them. We usually end up giving a lot of gift certificates.

[vishenda]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

I started buying Christmas presents last July, I have a schedule for monthly sales, now im done completing the list of gifts and just waiting for the day!!

it really saves like 30% of my usual expenses for Christmas gifts

[MonkeyMama]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

We usually have plenty of money and don't spend much so I Don't think much about it. BUT all the same it is a big chunk at the end of the year and so this year I Decided to be very proactive.

I usually do more last-minute stuff and don't shop around too much, picking cute stuff out of catalogs because I am short on time.

This year I have been tearing out catalog pages (which give me ideas) and then I Search online and ebay for good deals. I have found most of the stuff at 1/2 price from the catalogs.

I have been shopping all month and spent $150 in october. Will probably spend $100 in november to wrap up shopping. & that leaves december for all of the potlucks and gift exchanges, parties, teachers, etc. I imagine around $100. That is my $350 christmas.

We don't really exchange with anyone but immediate family.

I only do christmas cards once in a while, this year is a no christmas-card year. My husband and I Don't exchange gifts. WE always say we'll get the kids 1 gift and go overboard, but this year we left it to 1 $30 gift each. That was our budget and it will be more like $40 or $50, but so far we are sticking to the 1-gift rule. Everything else we think we want to get we are just keeping a list for their christmas money and gift cards. The last 3 years they have been spoiled rotten by us, even though we didn't intend to in the least, then the grandparents, then we have these gift cards for toys r us when all is said and done and buy more toys. This year we decided one toy was good and we can go crazy with gift cards later.

I usually like to have my shopping done in movember, december is just too crazy. BUT this year it feels so good to have the bulk of it done already. I Think I will REALLY enjoy this christmas. We overall just don't like it to be too materialistic, but at the same time it is the only time we really buy special things for the kids. But we are lucky most of our family and friends feel the same way. Not a lot of gift exchanging which is REALLY Fine with me.

Oh I just wanted to say my dh made my budget for my niece and my sister like $10 and $15 and I Was really impessed what great gifts I found. As much as I am frugal for myself, I am rarely so with gifts. I learned a lot this year. I thought dh was crazy - LOL - but in the end I am pleased with my gifts and that Christmas won't hurt at all this year.

[Ima saver]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

When I was much younger, I used lay away a lot. That really helped with the toys I purchased for christmas.

[funnyvalentine]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

One of the magazines I read says to buy 10 or 20 buck gift cards througout the year and stash them; (the operative theory being that you'll be less inclined to cash them in than to spend cash you put in the teapot.....) I kind of liked that idea....

[frugalmomof1]

Re: How Do You Plan Or Save For Christmas?

We have never put a limit on Christmas spending. If we felt like we spent too much on other people, we would choose not to buy gifts for each other. This year DH and I are putting aside all of the 'extra' money we earn from surveys and side jobs for gifts.

I have about $75 in gift certificates to amazon.com from surveys, so I will see if I can get any gifts there. I have also earned $60+ in cashback awards from my Discover card that I will use for gifts.

I hit a lot of post Christmas sales last year, and picked up a few things here and there throughout the year. I need to spend some time going through what I have and figuring out who to give them to.....