The holidays can be both overwhelming and financially stressful. Here are a few tips that may make your holiday shopping a little easier.
- Start with a Realistic Budget. Don't only take gifts into account, but be sure to budget for entertainment, food, and other miscellaneous holiday spending.
- Shop early and compare. With the convenience of the internet, you can simply do a Google search and compare prices across many different retailers, before making the purchase.
- Consider Alternative Giving. What can you buy for someone that already has it all? Maybe an experience? Things like passes to a museum, cooking classes or spa vouchers. Or, if you're crafty, consider making up your own gift basket of homemade goods.
- Teach Your Kids and Grandkids the Importance of Saving. When Savannah was young, I encouraged her to save by promising to match, dollar for dollar, any financial gifts she got for the holidays. Money, she gave me to invest, was immediately doubled and it gives you an opportunity to go over their statements and get them interested at a young age.
You CAN do this! Hopefully, these little tidbits of advice will help you get through the holiday stress, so you can enjoy this time of year with family and friends and not have to worry.