You know how it is. You're on a roll with your money, you've been spending very carefully, your budget is completely balanced, and you haven't accumulated any more debt in the last few months. Then, almost out of nowhere, the holidays come whooshing right in to leave financial chaos in their tracks.
Even the most disciplined people struggle with holidays because it means spending money and often times, they don't have the money to spend. But with a little pre-planning, you can nail Christmas gifts and stay within a comfortable budget.
Create A List
You can't expect to spend your money wisely if you don't have a plan in place that designates where each dollar goes.
Starting a Christmas budget for the recipients on your gift list is the best way to do it.
>>Get Your FREE Printable Christmas Budget Worksheet Here<<
To use it, just write down all of the people you need to get a gift for this year, whether it's a Secret Santa exchange at work, or a big gift for your parents.
Determine A Budget
So now you have to think of how much money you have available or how much you can come up with for gifts. You can even estimate this number.
Write it at the top of your Christmas budget worksheet.
Divide and Conquer
Now that you know what you're working with, you can divide the total budget amount out to everyone on your list. For those closest to you, you may want to spend a little more.
Shop by Budget not by Gift
Some people will tell you what they want for Christmas and you'll feel the need to immediately go purchase it, regardless of price. And that's how you get into a stressful situation with your money so that needs to stop, now! Instead, look at the amount you have designated to spend on that person and think of a way to either purchase a gift they want or contribute money towards it. If you can't afford the full amount of something, buy a gift card for it. This way you're still helping the recipient out by giving them some money to cover the costs.
Brainstorm
For people that never ask for anything specific, you'll need to brainstorm to figure out a gift idea for them. My favorite part about this is that I can get really creative. Maybe I have the ingredients to bake cookies that the person would LOVE instead of going out and paying money on a gift.
Create A List
You can't expect to spend your money wisely if you don't have a plan in place that designates where each dollar goes.
Starting a Christmas budget for the recipients on your gift list is the best way to do it.
>>Get Your FREE Printable Christmas Budget Worksheet Here<<
To use it, just write down all of the people you need to get a gift for this year, whether it's a Secret Santa exchange at work, or a big gift for your parents.
Determine A Budget
So now you have to think of how much money you have available or how much you can come up with for gifts. You can even estimate this number.
Write it at the top of your Christmas budget worksheet.
Divide and Conquer
Now that you know what you're working with, you can divide the total budget amount out to everyone on your list. For those closest to you, you may want to spend a little more.
Shop by Budget not by Gift
Some people will tell you what they want for Christmas and you'll feel the need to immediately go purchase it, regardless of price. And that's how you get into a stressful situation with your money so that needs to stop, now! Instead, look at the amount you have designated to spend on that person and think of a way to either purchase a gift they want or contribute money towards it. If you can't afford the full amount of something, buy a gift card for it. This way you're still helping the recipient out by giving them some money to cover the costs.
Brainstorm
For people that never ask for anything specific, you'll need to brainstorm to figure out a gift idea for them. My favorite part about this is that I can get really creative. Maybe I have the ingredients to bake cookies that the person would LOVE instead of going out and paying money on a gift.
I once knew of someone who just bought a house, so I actually used some of my excess stock of cleaning products and brand new cleaning tools and made a gift basket for them. Sure, I would eventually have to replenish my stock but for the holiday season my budget was still intact.
As you shop for everyone on your list, cross them off and also make note of how much you ACTUALLY spent versus what you had budgeted. Maybe you'll have money leftover!
It's also a really good idea to save throughout the year so Christmas doesn't sneak up on you in the future. If you put just $20 cash in an envelope every paycheck you can have hundreds saved up at the end of the year!
I have an actual gift fund in my budget and I put money in throughout the year so that I'm always covered for special occasions that come up like baby showers and weddings.
So with a little planning and brainstorming in advance, you can go Christmas Shopping to bring joy to others but still keep your wallet and your budget happy!
Do you save money throughout the year for Christmas shopping?
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Love these print outs. I normally just keep track of everything on my phone.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amysfashionblog.com/blog-home/
Glad you like them! yea sometimes it's just easier to physically write it out on paper
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