A Collection of Money Tips For The Holidays

Now that the season is turning and we’re entering into what most will say is the busiest time of the year, I’m finding myself pretty short on time with a whole lot of work ahead at the home front. For the most part, I’ve been doing some Christmas shopping, playing hostess to some international guests for the holidays and also putting together our annual Christmas display — that would include both the outdoor area and the interior of our home. Plus in the coming month, I’m also handling some extra school-related matters for my kids like applications/registrations (new schools may be in the horizon), parent/teacher conferences and end of year projects. All these on top of our normal routine (which includes work, errands, blogging, playdates, last minute physicals to beat the insurance deadline, household financial reviews, etc.) and you see that we’re going more than a little berserk over here.

So I thought for the time being, I’ll do what a few other pf bloggers have done, and that is to highlight some of my posts from the archives, particularly those that cover the subject of the holidays. And with less than a month away from Christmas, I thought to get into the spirit with a few money tips:

My Holiday Gift Collection of Money Tips

• Test drive your holiday budget with a make-believe, fantasy shopping spree. It may be a good way to scare yourself out of overspending. A little reverse psychology perhaps? This was the technique I used to keep my wish list in check.
• You don’t have to buy into the spending pressures of the season. If you’re taking a “No Buy or Buy Little” stance, be proud — especially if you’re trying to get rid of your debt. You don’t have to succumb to the calls of tradition.
• Avoid falling into an overspending trap by reading up on ways to save money in the midst of retail heaven. Maybe this list of timeless holiday frugal tips can help.
• Don’t let your guard down especially during times of fun and celebration. We become particularly vulnerable this time of year when we’re distracted by the requisite cheer and inebriation our surroundings impose upon us. Well, reality bites, so we shouldn’t forget what could happen when we’re not careful.
• Develop a budget for this special time of year. If you’re wondering what the average Christmas gift budget is, check out these eye-opening statistics and find out what the rest of the nation did last year.
• Develop traditions and memories. This may be a good time to reconnect with others you haven’t seen in a while. In my case, I remind myself that this time of year is for the children in my life.
• Don’t fall prey to the perils of shopping, buying and gifting. You don’t have to be frustrated when things aren’t up to snuff — try these tips on how to successfully return or exchange your merchandise (and get past the ornery sales clerk)!

Hopefully this’ll help get us ready for the bluster of activity ahead. To me, it’s already all starting to become a big blur!

 
Image Credit: NoveltiesWholesale.com

• Stock trades: Free stock trades from Zecco, Cheap stock trades from TradeKing, Stock news and Investment info at INO TV Free, No cost Trend Analysis for stocks
• Earn top returns: FNBO Direct [1.90%], HSBC Direct [1.65%], WTDirect [1.76%], E*Trade Bank [0.95%], ING Direct [.25% to 1.65%]
• Cash bonus: Discover More [$50], American Express [$25], Lending Club [$25]

If you enjoyed this post, you can get free regular updates through our RSS Feed, or you can have our latest posts delivered to your email inbox by supplying your address here. Your address will only be used for this purpose, and you can unsubscribe anytime. Share This: Save to del.icio.us Digg This! Stumble It! Submit to Reddit Email This

Categorized under: Banking & Money Management, Frugality & Budgeting, Smart Spending