Tax Tips 5 Ways to Celebrate The Holidays Without Blowing Your Budget Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Written by Elle Martinez Published Dec 4, 2023 - [Updated Jul 1, 2024] 3 min read Can you believe it? We only have one month left and then we’re wrapping up the year! The holiday season causes many of us to go on a gift-buying splurge. While our generous hearts may feel good about giving, our wallets, well, they may be hurting especially when working with a tighter budget this year. If you’re looking to save some money this season, here are five suggestions on how to get you started. Table of Contents Tailor Your Holiday MealsCreate Your BudgetCut Corners and CostsPlan AheadTry A Gift Exchange Tailor Your Holiday Meals Do yourself a huge favor and plan your holiday spread! It doesn’t have to be complicated, and you can find simple guides and recipes online to help get you started. Create a tailored shopping list of exactly what ingredients you need to make each of your must-have holiday dishes. Save extra by watching the ads and coupons from your local grocery stores and supermarkets as many holiday staples go on sale the weeks before the holidays. Create Your Budget We know, not the most exciting tip, but what many of us forget is that a budget is simply a way to prioritize your money. Plan your budget for this month to include what you feel comfortable spending on gifts, decorations, and holiday meals. By just sitting down and reviewing what you have planned, you can see how much money you have leftover. It’ll make things easier when the inevitable last-minute costs come up or in case of a health emergency. Impulse spending without a budget can lead to stress and can get you into debt. Cut Corners and Costs Sometimes it can be overwhelming to try and buy presents for everyone, especially if the gifts are expensive. There are ways, though, to still feel the holiday spirit with gift-giving, like homemade items or sentimental gifts, perhaps a framed photo or homemade card. Even if you aren’t exchanging gifts face-to-face, you should also find areas of your budget where you can cut corners. Use newspaper wrappings or plain brown construction paper as your wrapping paper and draw your own designs. Make the gifts personalized – no need to get fancy! If you are sending your gifts via the mail opt to decorate the shipping box instead of wrapping paper. Since you are likely receiving less guests at your home this year, scale back on buying new or over the top decorations. The money saved on decorations can be used elsewhere in your holiday budget. Plan Ahead This year, plan ahead with your family and loved ones on how you will all celebrate. Since getting everyone together isn’t likely, make sure you know where everyone will be to receive gifts. Many of us will be doing our holiday shopping online. Consider shipping times when ordering presents to make sure they arrive on time. Order early to avoid paying higher costs on rushed shipping. When possible, use stores or services like Amazon Prime that offer free shipping. And before you checkout, be sure to search the internet for possible coupon or promo codes available to you. If you plan to brave it at traditional brick and mortar retail stores, do so early to avoid long lines and the store being sold out of the item you want. Try A Gift Exchange Instead of buying lots of gifts, have everyone participate in a gift exchange where they’re responsible for contributing a single present. Suggest a Secret Santa type gift exchange with your family and friends. This can be a fantastic way to get everyone together without spending a ton of money. Set a dollar amount limit for each gift so that no one breaks their budget. Organize a way to draw names, there are many online sites that can assist with drawing names and setting up a virtual gift exchange. Previous Post How Reselling Could Affect Your Tax Situation Next Post Free File for Simple Form 1040 Returns – 37% Qualify Written by Elle Martinez Elle helps families at Couple Money achieve financial freedom by sharing tips for reducing debt, increase income, and building net worth. Learn how to live on one income and have fun with the second. More from Elle Martinez Visit the website of Elle Martinez. Follow Elle Martinez on Facebook. Follow Elle Martinez on Twitter. Comments are closed. 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