What’s not to love about the holidays? There are plenty of parties, family festivities, and of course, amazing sales. While it’s all fun and games in the moment, the festive season often leaves families saddled with debt from all the holiday spending and it is the most expensive time of year for American households. So how do you still make the most of the holiday cheer without burning holes in your pocket? To celebrate everything from Thanksgiving to Chanukah to Christmas on a budget, scroll on. Ahead, I’ve outlined four simple tips for saving during the holiday season!
1. Budget religiously.
Even if you haven’t quite fallen in love with budgeting, if there is one time where you’ll be grateful you did it, it will be during the holiday season. Holiday budgeting will keep you focused and help you resist spending money on unnecessary items.
To set your budget up, you can either allocate an amount to each person you’re gifting, or, you can set aside an amount specifically for your holiday spending overall and figure out the categories later. Either way, the exercise helps you to consciously decide what’s important to spend money on while still allowing you to experience the joy of giving!
2. Reconsider family traditions.
That cross-country getaway to a new and exciting location each holiday season might be a thrilling experience, but if you’re getting into debt for it, is it worth it? Creating memories doesn’t have to be expensive at all! Instead of a fancy getaway, why not explore some fun Christmas-on-a-budget options, like caroling in your area or going sledding? Have aspiring chefs in the family? Host a cook-off between the cousins.
Having fun has a lot more to do with creativity than spending money and you can definitely find alternatives!
3. Decorate in style at a fraction of the cost.
Decorations are an exciting part of holiday festivities but they’re certainly no reason to get into debt. If you know you’ll be hosting next year, the cheapest way to get steep discounts is to buy them the day after Christmas the prior year. This will save you tons! No store is looking to hold onto holiday merchandise after the fact, so it is usually deeply discounted as soon as the holiday spending frenzy has died down.
Additionally, if you live in the city, do Christmas on a budget by opting for a fake tree. You can reuse it year after year, and trust me, no one will notice the difference!
4. Outsmart the sales.
Sales are easily the sneakiest part of the holiday. Poster ads will boldly display 40%+ off your dream merchandise but be warned–not everything is what it appears to be on the surface. Sometimes, items are priced ridiculously higher during non-holiday seasons and then “deeply discounted” to what their true selling price should be when the holiday kicks in. That way, you’re left thinking you won the jackpot but in reality, you’ve paid the true full price of a good.
Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to compare prices. There are countless apps such as BuyVia and ShopSavvy that can help you to scan and compare the price of goods right from the comfort of your home.
How are you avoiding debt this season? Tell us your holiday budgeting tips in the comments!
Bola Sokunbi, founder of Clever Girl Finance, is a Certified Financial Education Instructor, money expert, CEO, and best-selling author. Sokunbi aims to help women like you take charge of your finances, stop living paycheck to paycheck, build real wealth, and get you in control of the life you really want to live.
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