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With the welcome of Fall comes anticipation for the holidays. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas are all less than 100 days away!
The “most wonderful time of the year” brings cheer and love to the masses. But, it can also bring anxiety as you work to be generous while watching your budget. FOMO – fear of missing out – on trips, parties, and gift opportunities is real. The guilt felt after breaking the bank may be worse, though.
Not to worry! We’ve got the holiday budget hacks to help you enjoy the season without the remorse of overspending.
Holiday Shopping Hacks
First up, create a shopping account. The hardest part about budgeting is actually sticking to the budget. While using only cash would be ideal, it’s not always feasible as online shopping is the norm. You can opt out of overspending by creating an account specifically for your holiday expenses. Since you won’t have the “warning” of dwindling physical cash, only being able to use what’s available is wiser than working to remember how much you’ve spent from the large pot.
Another tip is to only shop on a certain day of the week. Flash sales will be the end of your budget if you let it. The pressure to succumb to the glaring “Today ONLY” emails is real. We get it. You don’t want to unsubscribe and miss possible discount codes. Beat the urge to impulse buy by implementing a dedicated shopping day. If you still want the item when your “shopping day” rolls around, grab it guilt-free.
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Thirdly, make your own naughty or nice list. Generosity overflows during the holidays, but you’re not Santa; you don’t have to get everyone a gift. Make your own ‘naughty or nice’ list to determine who will get a purchased gift this year. Treat anyone outside of your immediate family with homemade cookies instead.
That leads us to our fourth tip, opt to give homemade or handmade presents. Don’t underestimate the power of a homemade gift as you work to stay within budget this holiday season. Baked desserts and do-it-yourself body scrubs, bath bombs, or candles are ideal as they are quick, easy, and economical. If you’d like to give a gift with a personal touch, try a monogrammed journal with stamps or a shadowbox with mementos from favorite moments with your loved ones.
Budget hack number five is to give the gift of your time. If you’re not much of a DIYer, lavish loved ones with acts of service coupons they can redeem when needed. For example, ‘Free Night of Babysitting’ or ‘Free Homemade Meal’. Your loved ones will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Lastly, avoid breaking the bank this season by collaborating with loved ones. Save the whole family money this year by participating in “Secret Santa.” In this gift-giving game, participants are randomly assigned a gift recipient. Everyone agrees on a price limit for the gifts and has access to the wishlist. Each gift giver’s identity remains a secret until the end.
Happy holiday season!
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The post Holiday Budget Hacks: Stress-Free Spending for a Joyful Season appeared first on Elev8.
The post Holiday Budget Hacks: Stress-Free Spending for a Joyful Season appeared first on Get Up! Mornings With Erica Campbell.