Holidays are a great time to be with your family and enjoy the gift of giving. However,
You do not need to drain your savings account every holiday season. You can still enjoy your holiday, throw parties, give gifts and host feasts but still keep the expenses under control. You can help your wallet enjoy the holiday also without being a grinch.
Cut down on gift giving.
The plain truth is that most of us spend more on gifts than we should. We need to remember the price of a gift does not measure how much we love someone. Be creative and try making some gifts. Make them personnel and your loved ones will appreciate that more.
Buy family members gifts that they need.
This may not sound exciting, but if your dad needs a new chainsaw, get him that instead of some tie or shirt. He will appreciate getting something that he can use and will not have to buy himself.
Do not go overboard on your young children when it comes to gifts.
Young children have short attention spans and things they must have one week, are soon forgotten the next week when something else catches their eye. Gadget that kids want today are expensive and though they may want them bad and ask Santa for them all year, they will soon loose interest.
Maybe try to find a cheaper version or even a used model of the item they must have so bad. Try to stay away from gifts that require batteries. You may also want to give gifts that can be used in the future, like savings bonds. These are great gifts for kids, they teach them the importance of saving.
If there is an expensive gift that you must get someone then charge it on a credit card with low interest of course that has a buyers protection plan. If you have the plan, you might as well take advantage of it.
Do your Christmas shopping early.
Get a game plan ahead of time. Figure out what you want to get each person and look for those items on sale. It is never too early to start. If you wait until the last moment, then you will be paying the full price for everything. Do this for your travel plans too. If you are planning to travel over the holidays, advanced planning of your travel could save you a bundle of money. This is true especially if you are purchasing plane tickets.
Buy an artificial Christmas tree.
Unless you grow Christmas tress in your backyard, this is good advice. Yes real pine trees do smell better and make it seem more like Christmas, but an artificial tree is a good investment. You can use them year after year and there is less mess and no disposal hassle.
You can also make your own Christmas ornaments and decorations. The best Christmas decorations are the homemade ones. Take advantage of spending time with your children here and get them in on the action. Reuse the tinsel year after year. While the savings here maybe small, it will send a message to the children not to waste.
Do not spend a fortune on outdoor lighting.
Christmas lights on your house are a wonderful way to decorate and show your holiday spirit. Be simple. You do not need a gaudy group of twinkle lights to make your house stand out. A little goes a long way.
Reuse your wrapping paper.
Unwrap your holiday gifts carefully and save the paper for the next year. I know that tearing into the paper is a thrill at Christmas, but some of that paper is really expensive. You can save your bags too.
If this does not appeal to you then buy your paper at the discount stores. No one ever really remembers the paper that the gifts are wrapped in anyway. The best time to stock up on your Christmas cards and wrapping paper is between Christmas and New Years. You can stock up on last season’s leftovers.
Ask your guests to bring a covered dish for parties and banquets.
Holiday parties are great and a lot of fun. They are also expensive. Ask your guest to each bring a covered dish or an appetizer to the get together. In most cases, no one will be offended because this way no burden is put on one person.
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