Stay On Budget This Holiday Season

Have you started Christmas shopping yet? I know you’re probably thinking, ”It was just Halloween. I’ve still got 9 lbs of candy to get rid of.” That was two weeks ago. In two more weeks, it’ll be Thanksgiving. And these days, Thanksgiving night is pretty much Black Friday. So if you’re looking to get rid of some Halloween candy, think ”stocking stuffers.” If you’re in need of some extra dough this year, here are are few tips that can help you stash some cash before it’s too late…

Get ahead of the game: If you’re buying something large and expensive, Black Friday may be a good bet for you. If you’ve got a slightly smaller list, you may be better off starting to look for deals now. Take your time and don’t buy anything until you’ve found the best price. This isn’t a method you can usually get away with in December. Whether it’s gifts or food or decorations, start looking early and find some deals. They’re out there if you’ve got time to find them.

Pay the old-school way: Apple Pay makes it easy to pay when you’re in a retail store. Venmo makes it simple to share money between friends and family. Amazon makes it a breeze to buy everything you need for the holidays. So even if you lock up your credit cards, your phone can still be your enemy when it comes to out-of-control spending. If you’re not the cash type, it’s time to become the cash type. When you hand over cash, it’s a nice wake up call for your spending habits. If you’ve got a number in mind for your holiday budget, grab some cash and watch how protective you’ll become when it’s time to spend it.

Cut back on everything: Whether it’s cutting back on going out to eat or just dropping the thermostat a few degrees, having a few extra bucks to spend will be real nice when you’re making out your shopping list over the next few weeks. If you’re like me, you probably just bought Disney+. If that’s you, think about shutting down your Hulu or Netflix accounts for a month or two while you’re having fun watching Star Wars or The Avengers. You won’t even think about them and you’ll save the money you need to get your Grandma those comfy slippers.