Did you know it is only 85 days (as of 10/1) until Christmas? Have you started planning or budgeting for Christmas yet?
Two years ago we made a big change in the way we plan for Christmas. Instead of waiting until the last minute and using credit cards, we started planning for Christmas on December 26th and spreading the cost of Christmas over the entire year.
If you have not started planning & budgeting for Christmas, it is not too late. Here are some ideas to help ease the stress and financial burden that the Holidays can bring.
1. Make a Christmas budget and decide how much you can afford to spend and STICK TO IT!
2. Make a list of people that you are going to buy gifts and budget for each person.
3. Start shopping now and take advantage of sales & clearance.
4. Consider making homemade gifts. If you start making gifts now, you have 85 days to make homemade gifts. If you choose this option, don't procrastinate!
5. Use some of your drugstore FREEBIES to make gift baskets. Make a spa gift basket with lotion & body wash or a kid's art basket with crayons, markers, pencils & coloring books (from the dollar store). Most thrift stores have very inexpensive baskets that you could use to make the gift baskets.
6. Budget and plan to take advantage of Rock Bottom Black Friday Sale prices.
7. Start purchasing non-perishable grocery items now as they are on sale. This way you can purchase a little each week instead of a large single purchase the day before Christmas dinner.
8. Start planning for Christmas 2011 on December 26, 2010. Go here to see how I do it!
Love your tips! I don't really buy Christmas gifts, I try to give gifts on non holidays but I love the idea of budgeting for Christmas dinner!
ReplyDelete85 days--hard to believe! I have another suggestion. Gather up all your coins and take them to the Coinstar machine. If you get a gift card the counting will be free. I like to get them for Borders, Amazon or Overstock. Overstock has very low shipping.
ReplyDeleteActually, my next visit will be for an Itunes gift card to give my son for his birthday in November. It's hard to figure out what to give a 24-year-old but he has an Ipod so I know he'll like this!