Preparing for the Holidays; Only 19 More Fridays!

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The picture above will have one of two responses from most people which ranged from sheer terror to excitement.

But mostly everyone would agree they are not ready to really think of it. Honestly, I am not sure I really want to think of it either, but with a little forethought and preparedness, you can have the most successful, stress-free holiday season ever!

Truly none of us really wants to start thinking about Christmas now, but if we take some time to do a little planning now we can keep from experiencing any after Christmas spending regrets.

Follow these simple steps to keep the consumerism monster at bay this year!

With only 19 Fridays until Christmas, you’ll have 19 weeks/paychecks to work with.

These are my top tips for saving on the holidays:

Create a Budget.

Come up with a realistic amount that you can afford to spend on Christmas gifts. This is the very first thing you should do before you make a single purchase.

Make a list.

Write down every single person you would like to give a gift to. This includes your family, friends, co-workers, and service people in your life. You might even want to keep your list in your purse in case you happen to find something while you are out shopping. Assign spending amounts to each person on your list. Obviously you are going to want to spend more on your children than on your hairdresser, so plan accordingly.

Stick to it.

I think this is the hardest part. It is easy to get caught up in keeping up with the Jones’, however, remember you made a list long before the holiday rush came along to

• Don’t give in to guilt.  A lot of people spend out of guilt, and that is the wrong motive. The dollar amount doesn’t directly reflect how much we care about someone.
• Don’t let your emotions have control.  Yes, you love that person, but that’s not a good reason to put yourself in debt over a Christmas gift.

This week I challenge you to Create a Budget and Make a List.

Then over the next several weeks, as you find a great deal on the perfect gift for someone on your list you can buy it and mark it off the list.

I hope you’ll join me in the Saving Dollars and Sense Facebook Group where I will be sharing LOTS of money-saving holiday tips and deals!