But Christmas shouldn’t break you or be a point of stress. It should instead be a time to enjoy family and friends. A time to enjoy the true meaning of life.
If you want to avoid a stressful holiday season and forgo taking out debt to fund your shopping you should start doing these four things today.
Setting (And Sticking to) a Budget
It’s so easy to go overboard on Christmas gifts – especially when it comes to children. But here’s the truth; a couple days after Christmas kids forget what they’ve gotten. And even worse, most of their gifts go untouched.
It’s important that you set a realistic budget. If you feel like some family members go overboard on gifts for you and your children talk to them. Make sure everyone is on the same page now so that there’s no confusion or guilt come Christmas time.
It’s more important that you make amazing memories than it is to lavish everyone with gifts.
Make a list of each person you’re going to buy for and set a budget for their gift. Then stick to the budget.
Saving $20 per Week
Don’t have enough money to purchase gifts right now? Easy. Save an extra $20 per week.
There’s roughly 12 weeks until Christmas. If you stash away $20 per week you’ll have $240 to spend on gifts. With a little creativity $240 can go pretty far.
Checking Clearance Racks
Go ahead and check those clearance racks now.
Keep your Christmas list in your wallet or purse and when you’re shopping pull it out and scan the clearance racks. You never know – you might be able to find the perfect gift for someone.
The best thing is nobody has to know that you scored your gifts at a highly discounted price.
Taking Advantage of Back to School Sales
Do you plan on getting any clothes as gifts? If so, you need to be shopping now.
Clothes and shoes are on sale everywhere thanks to back to school season. Look for coupons to your giftees favorite retail stores to sweeten up the back to school deals.
Right now is the perfect time for you to get the clothes type gifts marked off your list.
Go Ahead, Get Started
If you start working on your Christmas shopping now you won’t be stressed during the holidays.
Make your budget and stick to it. You’ve got four months to be creative and find those awesome Christmas gifts at awesome prices.
Have you started Christmas shopping yet?
I have definitely started Christmas shopping already, but not really directly. Mostly throughout the year I pick things up and put them on my gifts shelf, when the prices are too good to pass up. This is especially good for things like stocking stuffers and little things. I also start thinking about what I should get people, so that I can partner up with my parents to buy big gifts for my sibling, or start looking for sales.