The holiday season is one of giving, which often means it can easily become the season of overspending too. You want to make sure you get the best gifts for family and friends. There are still a few ways to make sure you get great gifts without going overboard with the amount of money to spend. While holiday spending might be extravagant, effective budgeting can help you avoid a month of regret later in January. Know and understand how to begin planning for the holiday season so that you can make the most of them while minimizing the financial impact. Here are a few recommendations:
How Not To Overspend During The Holidays
1) Deciding on a budget
Whenever it concerns holiday spending this season, you should have a firm grasp on just how much money you are willing to spend on gifts. However, after you’ve determined that amount of money, you’re not finished budgeting yet. During this season, think about where you’re going to spend your money. Buying gifts, like flying and other holiday activities, has a significant influence on your money. To avoid overspending on something you could have prevented, allocate your budget wisely.
If you go shopping without a list, you’re likely to buy a few things you don’t really need or you don’t know who to give to. Making a shopping list of who are the persons you are buying for and gift suggestions for each person will help you stay focused while you’re in stores. You can also just buy holiday gifts for your family members and close friends only. Make these important persons your priority, and only buy gifts for them. Regardless if you ever see something that would be ideal for someone else, keep in mind that you only have enough holiday budget put up for the people who are most important to you. If you feel awful about not being able to give holiday gifts to some people you can do the following instead: create baked goods, make handcrafted gifts, or send personalized holiday cards.
While the appropriate amount to spend for holiday gifts depends on your salary (or personal finance sitatuion), cultural traditions, and other considerations, a general rule of thumb is to spend $50 to $100 on a gift for your family (each family member) and $20 to $50 on a gift for close friends (each friend). Meanwhile, the average cost of a holiday gift for a work colleague is between $20 and $50.
2) Use an allotted amount of cash only instead of credit cards
You can also stick to a cash-only payment strategy when doing your holiday shopping. Using your credit card to pay for holiday gifts makes it easier to overspend. These credit cards nearly often feature double-digit interest rates, so your $1,000 charge for holiday gifts bought is paid off with a minimum payment that can cost you $1,800 and maybe more.
3) Use credit card rewards and points
Credit cards often offer rewards and points based on how much money you spend and the types of things you like to buy. So, consider inquiring about this with the financial advisors at your bank, and see what reward options they have to offer. Then, consider saving up these points and rewards (which often translate into cash-back to your bank account and gift cards) for the holiday spending season.
4) Creating a shopping list
Having a shopping strategy isn’t enough. It’s equally crucial to stick to your shopping strategy. Creating a shopping list will help you keep track of your holiday shopping expenses and thus prevent you from overspending.
Early in the holiday shopping season, when selection and prices are both at their greatest offers, buy your holiday gifts during the sales. Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make a shopping list of all of your planned purchases ahead of time to ensure that the total amount spent is within your holiday budget, and then stick to it religiously. Creating a shopping list will give you a general idea of what you’ll need to pay for.
Create a shopping list of all of your anticipated holiday gifts expenses. Consider the following items below:
– Gifts for friends and family
– At-work gift exchanges
– Items for gift wrapping
– Price of shipping and delivery
– Gifts for service providers
5) Making holiday goals
Before you start looking for holiday treats, take a look at your finances and figure out how much you can afford to spend on holiday gifts this year. Financial experts often recommend that you spend no more than 1.5% of your annual income on your holiday gifts budget. Make sure this combined total fits inside your holiday budget. If you believe you might be able to stretch a little more your financial budget, that’s fantastic! But don’t ever be scared to scale back. You should not go broke just because of buying holiday gifts. The best thing to do is to spend money on things that are truly beneficial for you and your financial circumstances.
6) When to shop
Really shouldn’t dismiss sales fliers in your mailbox or in your email inbox. You might be able to save money on your holiday shopping if you shop during sales. You may get incredible prices on the newest toys, latest gadgets, and important home items, all of which make excellent gifts for both family and friends and even coworkers. Look through some sales fliers or e-discount codes before you go shopping to discover what items are up on the holiday sale.
7) Bring your imagination to life
The holiday season needs a bit more imagination. You can make cookies and other sweet treats, make handicrafts, or come up with other innovative ideas to offer gifts. You don’t need to spend a lot of money during the holiday season to show that you care for your family and friends. Instead, come up with unique and imaginative ways to show your gratitude to the most important individuals in your life. This can help you save money on your holiday budget while also giving you a more personalized gift for each important person you have in your life.
These homemade gifts for the holidays are a terrific way to save money while still demonstrating your love for the gift receiver.
Tips To Avoid Overspending On Holiday Gifts
Split up bigger ticket items with family & friends.
Rather than giving individual gifts, try splitting up bigger ticket items among family and friends. Rather than paying $25 for an individual gift, you can give a larger ticket item split amongst more people. You save money, because maybe your contribution was only $15, and the receiver benefits with a more expensive item.
Buy gifts in sets.
Oftentimes during holidays, department stores run sales where you can get a good deal on a variety of gifts. You’ll see ‘Buy One, Get Ones” or “BOGOs’, and even percentage discounts for purchasing more than one product. So basically, if you can purchase 2-3 candles (or any item) for the price of one, do it!
Budget at the beginning of the year.
The point of this tip is that holiday shopping doesn’t always have to happen during the crazy holiday season. Don’t wait until the last minute. Start budgeting in January, either by putting money aside for later in the year OR by starting your shopping earlier in the year. By shopping all year, you can reduce both hassle and costs.
Avoid feeling guilty about sticking to your budget.
I know, its easy to feel like you need to get your friends and family more gifts than you can afford. This is especially hard to avoid when dealing with kids. They’re so cute, you just want to get them every little thing they want. However, you’ve made your budget for a reason, because its what you could afford. Do your best to stick to it, and you won’t find yourself overspending this year.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the holiday mood and spend more money than you planned. Setting clear expectations, creating a holiday budget, and sticking to it will help you avoid debt once the holiday celebrations are done.
Fall is the most perfect time of the year in Arizona. It starts the beginning of patio season, comfortable hot air balloon rides, enjoyable hikes and walks, cozy clothes, and actually getting outside to do things! Our population also doubles in size during fall and winter when the Snowbirds come back for their winter home. We also don’t sweat to death walking from the car to a store, which is always pleasant!
After a year of very few events, I’m happy to say, events are back on this fall in Arizona. While we don’t get the typical fall colors from the changing leaves here in the Phoenix Valley, up in Northern Arizona these are a staple as well as cooler temperatures.
Pumpkin Patches, State Fair, Brewery and Food festivals, and so much more are returning this year to Arizona. Whether you are local to Arizona, visiting for the first time, a Snowbird, or a kid, there’s something for everyone here this fall and I can’t wait to share it all with you!
Fall Events In Arizona
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce Ostrich Festival
The Chandler Chamber of Commerce Ostrich Festival began in 1988 based on Chandler’s colorful early history of ostrich ranching. The event has grown into one of the premier festivals in the southwest. The Ostrich Festival features family-friendly ostrich-themed activities, national and regional entertainment, carnival midway, spectacular food, and upscale arts & crafts. For more information on Chandler Ostrich Festival, visit OstrichFestival.com.
This is an annual event which makes its return this year and promises to make you not miss last years festival! While I’ve never taken the family to this, it sounds like a great time with live music and a kids zone with all the games! (If you follow along on Instagram, you will know what I mean! We are a big carnival/Midway game family!) Tickets start at $20 for adults, $15 for children and seniors, and the family pack for 4 is $125. You can also check out the VIP option.
Fairmont Princess Pumpkin Nights
Back again for another round, Pumpkin Fest at The Princess is fun for all ages! This event transforms the beautiful Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, AZ into a spooky fall wonderland! Enjoy some spiced or spiked 🙂 cider and then wander up to your room as the cool fall air hits.
Stroll through the resort, stop for photo opportunities, ride the carnival rides, be brave and go through the Hay Maze, pick your best pumpkin in the pumpkin patch, and enjoy a skeleton song through Mystic Passage to complete your Pumpkin Experience at The Princess. Be quick though! This event takes place on Saturday, October 29th from 8 pm – 2 am and will sell out!
Mac Donald’s Ranch and Pumpkin Patch
If you are looking for a fun experience for the family, head over to Mac Donald Ranch. They have a cute little petting zoo, a playground for kids, Mechanical Bull, Pony Rides, pedal cars, gold panning, Barrel Train, corn mazes, Caterpillar Bounce, and a prepicked pumpkin patch. They even do horseback riding lessons if you want to knock out all the fall activities in one day.
You will find many western games, a western town, and great places to take photos at Mac Donald’s Ranch and family farm. It is in the middle of the desert, so it’s cute to have a little fall with a little desert reminder along with the friendly horses. Check out tickets here. Pumpkin Patch is open October 1-31 and they close at 6 pm daily, with the exception of Tuesday they are closed all day.
Schnepf Farms Pumpkin and Chili Party
If you are up for a drive down to Queen Creek from October 1-31, amongst all the farmland, you will find this fall treasure. This place reminds me the most of the fall festivals and parties we would have back in Indiana where I grew up. Activities include chili, pumpkins, a kids playground, petting zoos, a corn maze, hay rides, ropes course, ziplines, roller coaster, rock wall, and it’s very family friendly. If you are looking for a spooky adventure with your friends, or significant other, hop aboard the nightmare bus, titled “The Wreckoning” if you dare! They have many food options, local vendors and the best kettle corn I’ve found! We’ve only been once as a family as it’s kind of a far drive for us, but if we lived closer, I’d do this one a lot more!
Schnepf Farms Bakery Pick Up — A few of their yummy options!
Schnepf Farms is family owned and operated, the largest Peach grower in the state of Arizona, and is open 10 months a year. You can host special events like weddings, family reunions, corporate outings, to name a few at Schnepf. They have a year round “You Pick” Garden and some of the best pies, maybe even better than Grandma’s, in their Country Store. They have even added online ordering if you would like to skip the picking and simply pick up. If you want to go glamping in a restored vintage camper trailer, you can now do so at Schnepf Farms as well! Check that out here. Tickets start around $24 per person for a single day or $79 per person for the entire festival to use any day you like.
Arizona State Fair
Our absolute favorite activity to do as a family in the fall, which we do every year (minus 2020 because it wasn’t the same), is visit the Arizona State Fair. We always try to get there first thing in the morning to beat traffic on the weekends and leave before it gets too crazy late in the day. It’s not a far drive for us in Phoenix, but we like to beat the crowds, enjoy all the fried food vendors, have a few drinks, see some animals, hit the carnival Midway games, watch the eating contests, and then head out for the day. If you are close to Phoenix, AZ, this is a must visit!
This year, the state fair is open September 23 through October 30, Thursdays through Sundays, and you can get your tickets here. Starting again this year, 2022, live music will return. Ticket prices start at $10 and go up to $15 and kids 5 and under are free. I love to see what chocolate or dessert item they can create that is deep fried to perfection, making it better than the normal item!
Boo and Brew
Boo & Brew has fun for everyone, so bring your family and your pups and celebrate Fall at Scottsdale Quarter. Wander the pumpkin patch, and enjoy music, art, crafts and more! In celebration of the completion of the final phase of Scottsdale Quarter, Boo and Brew is one of the final events of the weeklong celebration titled, Boo & New at the Quarter.
Join in the fun with live entertainment, fall themed activities, family fun, local art, and of course, if you choose, shopping! Bring your pup, your kids, your family, or yourself! Grab a ticket for $10 for 3, 12 oz craft brews before the prices go up!
Kierland Commons Oktoberwest
As a family, we love visiting Kierland Commons. Previously, we experienced their KierlandPOP outdoor festival, which was fun for the whole family.
This year, Kierland is hosting a one-of-a-kind experience called Oktoberwest. This event is a western-inspired take on the traditional Oktoberfest festivities and should be fun for all age groups. You can expect music from the best of West, tons of food trucks with mouth-watering options, line-dancing, corn-hole, and so much more. Plus, cocktails and local beer as well. And, there will even be a mechanical bull – so fun!
Grab your favorite Fall sweater and some comfy Fall sneakers and get ready to dance the night away. Oktoberwest will take place on October 15, 2022 from 4 pm – 10 pm and tickets start at $45 per person.
What Fall events will you attend this year in Arizona?
I’m sure I missed something, so if you want to visit Arizona or are local and wondering what is going on this weekend, be sure to use google and let me know what you did so I can add it to this list! Also, I’m dying to know which Arizona Fall Fest is your favorite!
If you’re in search of other fun Fall-inspired things to cross of your bucket list this year, check out my list of the coziest things to do in the Fall!
Very simply put, financial literacy and education is when you know enough about the crazy world of economics that you are able to make informed and effective decisions with your financial resources. It’s important to be financially literate so that you can make the right financial decisions for yourself, as well as for your family and your future.
Because we don’t learn true financial literacy in school, it’s an important set of skills to develop sooner rather than later in life. Things you should 100% be familiar with include: personal finance, credit cards and debit cards, savings accounts, interest rates, credit score, and money management.
Why is financial literacy important?
The secret to a happy, safe and secure future is financial literacy. The more financially literate you are, the better you will be with your expenses, savings, and investments. So, if you are someone who fails to manage their expenses, makes financial and investment mistakes frequently, it is probably a sign that you lack financial literacy.
Having said that, financial literacy does come with experience, but experience comes with knowledge. So, it doesn’t matter if you are an amateur or a pro at it, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t begin to increase your financial literacy. (You can never perfect your knowledge, but you can always increase it. Knowledge is after all limitless)
Know it’s never too late to learn financial literacy. Growing up, we didn’t know what finances were, we just knew there was usually not enough to go around, and if there was, it meant we didn’t get anything extra, maybe a little less fighting by my parents.
So, if you are in, and want to make a change for a better future, here are all the ways you can improve your financial literacy.
7 ways to improve your financial literacy
1. Read Financial books
When they said, “Excess of anything can be dangerous”, they didn’t talk about books. The more you read books, the smarter and knowledgeable you become. So, if your idea is to gain financial knowledge and you find yourself to be an avid reader, what better way is there other than reading books on financial literacy?
Best Financial Literacy Books
If you are looking for some recommendations, here are some that you must definitely read:
Stop Acting Rich and The Millionaire Next Door, both by Thomas Stanley
The Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham
2. Join an online course
Just as you are never too young or old to gain knowledge, you’re never too young or old to enroll in an online course. You might think that you are past college, your learning days are over. But trust me, when it comes to learning, there’s no age.
Ergo, a great way to improve your financial education is to consider enrolling in courses about financial literacy. You can go for weekend online courses if you cannot make space for them during workdays.
DigitalDefynd is one website you can depend on. For more options, you can visithere. Also, since April is Financial Literacy Month, you’ll often find discounts for courses during this month.
3. Talk finance with the experienced ones
You might frequently forget study lessons, but you’ll seldom forget the important conversations you have with someone. Moreover, when it comes to it, perspectives matter. Talking about financial literacy within your experienced circle would not only provide you with knowledge but develop your perspectives about important things in life.
So, go chat with your boss, friends, or some people in the financial department at your workplace. Those who have the expertise, or experience per se, can give you a lot to learn. Or, if you have the budget, consider hiring a financial advisor to help manage your finances. They can give you financial advice, help you plan for your financial future, and even assist with long term retirement planning. Hiring a financial advisor is a really good idea if you’re dealing with estate planning. When you’ve got that much in the works, a financial advisor can really come in handy.
4. Read financial newsletters and magazines
Remember why we were always told to read newspapers? Because it increases knowledge. Likewise, financial newsletters and magazines would do just the same. So, if you want to witness a change, add financial newsletters to your lifestyle.
Ditch scrolling your phones in leisure time, instead read to boost your financial knowledge.
You can also subscribe to various newsletters of your favorite financial websites to keep yourself updated with the ongoing events. Make it a goal to read at least one article or financial newsletter before going to bed.
5. Practice Budgeting
You might forget theoretical knowledge. But when it comes to practical knowledge, these are the lessons you learn for life. Not only will it make you financially literate about your own budget but enlighten you about new financial concepts.
If you don’t do budgeting, you can start with the basics. Record all your transactions during the month, total them, and now compare the number with your monthly earnings. The total amount you have saved defines your monthly financial standing. Additionally, how you use your saved money is equally significant. If you are just starting, don’t use all of it towards investment – all the more, do not invest if you lack the knowledge. Talk to an expert before you start.
6. Use social media for enlightenment
Social media is a blessing, but most of us use it for all the wrong reasons. Trust me, using it to keep a tab on everyone’s life is not as useful as using it to increase your knowledge. Now that almost all small businesses are establishing themselves on social media, small financial businesses are amongst them too. Follow them; they share tips and knowledge that might improve your financial literacy.
Moreover, you can also use social media to be a part of a network that emphasizes or shares interests about financial literacy, same as yours.
7. Have a mentor
Almost all the great legends out there have someone they feel grateful to, someone who has made them who they are. They had their mentors who inspired them in life. So, if you too can think of someone like that, let them be your mentor. It’s advisable to pick someone who possesses the financial literacy that you aspire to have.
Should Financial Literacy Be Taught In School?
Let me know your thoughts below! In my opinion, of course it should! According to the Literacy and Education Commission, children and young adults need to be taught financial literacy for a plethora of reasons. But, the most important reason is to prepare the next generation for this crazy world of finances.
However, since its not taught at school as often as we’d like to see, it needs to be taught at home. If you’re ready to start talking to your kiddos about finance, check out these 7 ways to raise money-smart kids.
All in all, improving your financial knowledge is not a short-term process, it is not a test you can pass and declare yourself to be financially literate. It’s a journey without an end. You cannot be the best, but you can be better. So, be consistent, don’t wait for short-term results.
The only time we do not entirely love to shop is during the Christmas season. It’s not that we do not love Christmas (We wait for it the entire year after all) but because Christmas shopping can cause dire financial stress to our budgets. From shopping for gourmet food for lavish dinners to buying gifts for everybody – with a hundred heavy expenses, Christmas can often feel like a luxury we cannot afford to have. But then again, it’s Christmas, and you cannot “not celebrate” it. But you can certainly make some adjustments and try these Christmas shopping hacks that I’m about to disclose.
Do you know why some e-commerce websites keep coupon codes deep within the categories? Because we are too naïve of their existence. We shop without using the coupons, either because we’re incognizant about them, or we consider their hunt hassling. Mostly, it’s the former.
Thus, this Christmas, wherever you shop, make sure you check for coupons and cash back offers. Here’s one website that I recommend.
2. Compare prices on Amazon
Retail stores sell Christmas items at soaring prices. But you can get better deals on Amazon or any other E-commerce shopping website for that matter. So, every time you’re out there shopping, always make sure to compare prices. If you get better deals online, go ahead and buy.
3. Shop Christmas décor at the Dollar Tree
Dollar Tree is a chain of retail discount shops in the USA and Canada. If you happen to have one in your city, you can consider going there to shop for Christmas décor. You can get some amazing things at dirt-cheap prices – as low as $1. Hard to believe, right? Well, go see for yourself.
Alternatively, if you prefer a Target, you can find such cute decor in their dollar section at the front of their store. I’m sure you’ve seen all the influencers with the bottle brush trees (guilty here too!) all over their homes for Christmas. Those come from that section and really make decorating fun and easy.
4. Do Secret Santa
If you have too many people to gift to, skip the process entirely, and gift just one person; it will save you a lot of money. Secret Santa is a group game where everybody is assigned a person, for whom they have to buy a gift. The identity of the gift giver remains unknown till the end, so the gift receiver has to make a guess.
Another great alternative is to do a white elephant gift, which can be played one of two ways. The first is to get a trick gift, like my favorite — “cold hard cash” where you would buy a cookie tin, put an amount of money into the tin, and fill with water and freeze. The person believes it’s cookies, but when they pick it up, it’s cold, and inside they have to wait to see how much money is in it if you stack the bills together.
The other way to do white elephant is to get an actual good gift, one you would want to receive as well. You can read a story and everyone sits around in a circle to be able to easily pass the gift on a specific word. Each time the word is said, you pass your gift. When the story is over, you open the gifts in order and can ‘steal’ a gift from someone else if you want. It makes it kind of fun and lets others choose what they’d really like and keeps your costs lower.
5. Shop beforehand
As mentioned before, things get extremely expensive during Christmas because of the demand. However, for the rest of the year, a standard rate is maintained. This is when you can shop for Christmas to save a lot of money– you can buy gifts, or décor even when Christmas is months away. However, you might also have to arrange for space and pack the décor properly to preserve the novelty of your purchases.
I know someone in my family who shops and makes gifts all year long so they are completely done shopping before Halloween and it serves them well. They have an area in their home they put all the gifts and it works for them.
6. Keep an eye out for sales
Brands offer sales throughout the year, and that my friend is the best time to shop for Christmas. But in case if you are someone who remains oblivious of the sales, you have to change if you don’t want to be burdened by the financial stress of Christmas.
7. Prepare baskets
Instead of gifting someone one expensive gift, create a basket including little stuff that would together come out to become a thoughtful Christmas present. You can perhaps add dried flowers, homemade cookies and chocolates, cards, soaps and scrubs, anything that the person you are gifting to might like.
8. Register on Ebates
Ebates (now Rakuten) can be a God-sent for Christmas shopping. Rakuten is a reward website where you can shop and earn up to 25% cash back on online purchases. But for that to work out, you need to register on the platform; the cherry on the top – there’s no joining fee.
There are also several other reward sites you can choose, I also like using Capital One Shopping and Karma Now as they have a browser plug in that searches for discount codes at checkout. It makes sure you get the best price and save some money without really doing much other than clicking the check box to allow it to apply the codes and check other sites to see that you are getting the best price.
9. Create a shopping list and stick to it
This does not happen just during the Christmas season, but the whole damn year- we shop more than we need to and shop what we don’t need. Ergo, to prevent it from happening, consider making a shopping list and ensure you strictly stick to it. Before you make one, make sure to check what you already have. You wouldn’t want to buy things you already had.
10. Buy second-hand or do a yard sale of old Christmas décor
There’s no shame in buying second-hand things if it saves you from financial troubles in the end. Thus, you can either buy second-hand products or sell what you own in a yard sale. People who are looking to change their Christmas décor from last year while saving money might be interested in buying old Christmas décors.
In Arizona, every Friday, people have estate sales, and sell off many decor items as well as items you can use for gifts. These make great ways to negotiate and find some gently used items for your decor you may never have been able to afford. I personally love going to higher end ones to find items which I would love to have, but don’t want to pay the retail price.
Now that you know these hacks, you do not need to worry about Christmas shopping. By following these tips, you can save significantly and enjoy Christmas as you should! Merry Christmas and have a happy holiday season! We all look forward to saving money, don’t we? And I’m sure this includes you, so if you have some additional shopping hacks to share, feel free to drop them in the comment section.
Christmas might be a time of joy, but it can be a threat to your wallets as well. From shopping for gifts and décor to hosting fancy Christmas dinners, there are a lot of expenses involved. Some of which, one might easily manage, but those who can’t, always end up in dire financial crunches only to add more debt in the end. Nevertheless, Christmas is just around the corner and if you are afraid more than being
happy – you don’t need to anymore. You can still save money this Christmas. Who says you can’t have a frugal Christmas of your own. It’s easy – in fact, to help you out, here are some tips that you can use.
7 tips to save for debt-free Christmas
1. Start a Christmas reserve
You might have a reserve for retirement, medical expenses, emergency funds, so why not have a reserve for Christmas as well? It does make sense if it would help you remain debt- free during the holiday season. You can consider depositing a little money every month in the reserve. But before you do that, calculate your average Christmas expenses and then divide the amount by 12 (for every month). That’s the amount you need to reserve every month for the year-end Christmas season.
2. Determine the costly expenses on Christmas
If we’re talking money-saving for Christmas, you have to first determine where your money goes during Christmas time.
Is it gifting? Or is it décor? Or fancy dinners?
When you know where you lose money the most, you can then try to save in that particular category. For instance, if you find out that your money is majorly spent on décor, then how about saving by using the past year’s Christmas décor? Trust me; you can do a lot different from what you have. In other words, you can still decorate differently using the same materials. You just have to be creative. Moreover, don’t you feel ashamed in reusing the old décor, it won’t destroy the Christmas spirit – in fact, you will be more rejoiced when you know you won’t be in financial crunches.
3. Always go by a list when you shop for Christmas
Going without a shopping list can be deadly for your budget. You’ll end up buying more than you should, and what you might not even need. Thus, make a list of all the things you need before going to stores and spending your entire budget. And while shopping, make sure you stick to the list – nothing extra, I repeat nothing! Additionally, it’s important to make sure that you do not shop during Christmas days. Things become really expensive in the festive season. It’s really better to shop before even if you are months away from Christmas.
4. Make use of coupons and cash back
You’re seriously missing out on a lot if you do not use coupons and cash back available to you. Many websites and wallet services allow cash back and coupons that you can use to save money. Additionally, various banks offer credit card points on purchases. You can redeem those points to shop for free. For instance, even Amazon provides coupons. Visit the Amazon App, click Programs and features, and then finally click Amazon coupons. While you are at, don’t hold yourself back thinking you wouldn’t be able to save much. Little savings contribute to huge savings in the end.
When I was growing up, this was similar to layaway. You could put things on layaway and gradually pay them off over time. Because there were four of us kids, and my parents made very little, this was something my Mom used quite a bit. Alternatively, this is like credit cards today, because back in the 90’s I don’t know if lower income people even knew about credit cards. It certainly wasn’t advertised like it is today.
5. Look for cheaper alternatives
We all have our favorite brands, but in case you think that your brand favorites are expensive and you can find cheaper alternatives, feel free to switch. It would be worth it if it allows you to save money and remain debt-free in the end. Quite honestly, growing up, we had a lot of cheaper, more affordable alternatives. From cereal, to candy in our stockings, to the clothes we wore. It has made me appreciate the things I have now and the ability to buy nicer things. We are trying to pass that appreciation on to the girls by helping them understand the things they WANT versus the things they NEED.
6. Sell old and unused items
When it comes to things we do not need, our houses are full of them. Thus, what you can do is clean your house to find out such things. Such things can be anything from old laptops, phones, blankets, clothes, and even machinery. Once you accumulate such things you can sell them off on eBay or hold garage sales for the same. The easiest thing to sell when you have children, are toys and clothes. There are resell shops in most big towns and you can purchase gently used, but more affordable things at these places. This is especially great when your kids are young and growing quite rapidly.
If you are looking for electronics, I highly recommend Back Market for anything your family wants for the holidays relating to electronics. Back Market takes electronics that others may have traded in for upgrades and refurbishes them to like new, and sells them to consumers at a much lower rate. I have several iPads from them and they honestly don’t have scratches, dings, or anything wrong with them. They look brand new. They typically come in some sort of packaging from the brand, so you can easily make your family member happy as well as your wallet.
7. Lastly, make use of some Christmas hacks
Reserving the most important for the last, make use of money-saving Christmas hacks.
– Go for handmade gifts – Starting from handmade Christmas cards, to cake, and cookies.
– Opt for Giftcards instead of spending heavily on Christmas gifts.
– For Christmas dinners, encourage everybody to bring in dishes or wine.
– Send e-Christmas cards. Some websites allow you to send them for free. One such website is this.
– Sing Christmas carols, play poker and other games, as a part of fun Christmas traditions instead of going out to expensive and fancy places.
Finally,
Well, that’s it. Now you’re all ready to save money and be debt-free this Christmas. I hope this festive season brings lots of joy, happiness, and prosperity to you and your family!
are willing to spend on gifts. However, after you’ve determined that amount of money, you’re not finished budgeting yet. During this season, think about where you’re going to spend your money. Buying gifts, like flying and other holiday activities, has a significant influence on your money. To avoid overspending on something you could have prevented, allocate your budget wisely.
help you keep track of your holiday shopping expenses and thus prevent you from overspending.
your holiday shopping if you shop during sales. You may get incredible prices on the newest toys, latest gadgets, and important home items, all of which make excellent gifts for both family and friends and even coworkers. Look through some sales fliers or e-discount codes before you go shopping to discover what items are up on the holiday sale.
little petting zoo, a playground for kids, Mechanical Bull, Pony Rides, pedal cars, gold panning, Barrel Train, corn mazes, Caterpillar Bounce, and a prepicked pumpkin patch. They even do horseback riding lessons if you want to knock out all the fall activities in one day.
wasn’t the same), is visit the Arizona State Fair. We always try to get there first thing in the morning to beat traffic on the weekends and leave before it gets too crazy late in the day. It’s not a far drive for us in Phoenix, but we like to beat the crowds, enjoy all the fried food vendors, have a few drinks, see some animals, hit the carnival Midway games, watch the eating contests, and then head out for the day. If you are close to Phoenix, AZ, this is a must visit!
books, the 
financial newsletters and magazines would do just the same. So, if you want to witness a change, add financial newsletters to your lifestyle.
everyone’s life is not as useful as using it to increase your knowledge. Now that almost all small businesses are establishing themselves on social media, small financial businesses are amongst them too. Follow them; they share tips and knowledge that might improve your financial literacy.
money. 
you are someone who remains oblivious of the sales, you have to change if you don’t want to be burdened by the financial stress of Christmas.
and shop what we don’t need. Ergo, to prevent it from happening, consider making a shopping list and ensure you strictly stick to it. Before you make one, make sure to check what you already have. You wouldn’t want to buy things you already had.
Christmas as well? It does make sense if it would help you remain debt- free during the holiday season. You can consider depositing a little money every month in the reserve. But before you do that, calculate your average Christmas expenses and then divide the amount by 12 (for every month). That’s the amount you need to reserve every month for the year-end Christmas season.
you might not even need. Thus, make a list of all the things you need before going to stores and spending your entire budget. And while shopping, make sure you stick to the list – nothing extra, I repeat nothing! Additionally, it’s important to make sure that you do not shop during Christmas days. Things become really expensive in the festive season. It’s really better to shop before even if you are months away from Christmas.
to find out such things. Such things can be anything from old laptops, phones, blankets, clothes, and even machinery. Once you accumulate such things you can sell them off on eBay or hold garage sales for the same. The easiest thing to sell when you have children, are toys and clothes. There are resell shops in most big towns and you can purchase gently used, but more affordable things at these places. This is especially great when your kids are young and growing quite rapidly.
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