Christmas and the holiday season as a whole is a joyous time. There are the holidays, the outings and meals with loved ones and visiting family. Everything is how the season should be. Unfortunately, without adequate planning, it can really stretch your finances. We get caught up in the good times and before you know it, you’ve overspent. Let’s look at a few ways to keep the holiday spending in check:
Make lists
In the run-up to the holiday season make lists of everything you need. First a list of all groceries and household items for dinners, lunches, and parties. Next a list of everyone for gifts and cards. Take into account the costs of any travel associated with any events.
Bargains
The run up to Christmas is also a time when you will get some of the best bargains. Make notes of sales, discounts, and offers and match them against your lists. Regardless of the level of discounts offered, don’t overspend in order to achieve a saving.
Buy online
There are hundreds of deals and discounts running online. In addition, a look at popular coupon code sites will also list sites that have significant savings and promotions running. Days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are good to buy tech gifts and toys for gifts.
Loyalty card points
We all have loyalty cards that we religiously use to accrue points. This is a good time of year to use up all the points and money earned throughout the year.