The holidays are close, does that scare you? It scares me! It definitely crept up on me this year. Thanksgiving in the United States is just next week, and Christmas, New Years and many other significant holidays are next month as well.
The next 45 days are usually a somewhat expensive time of the year for many people because of all of the holidays.
Due to this, I wanted to create a blog post today about the different ways a person can save money during this time of year. Yes, it is possible to not completely bust your budget!
Some people spend thousands of dollars on the holidays. Some even go into debt. Whatever your case may be, it is very possible to have a wonderful time and still stay within a realistic budget.
Below are different ways to save money during the holidays this year:
Set a budget.
The first thing you need to do is set a budget for the holidays. The holidays aren’t too far away, but there is still time to create a budget. You should create a budget for gifts, a budget for food, a budget for any transportation that may need to be made, and more.
Start a secret Santa group.
If you give gifts around the holidays, then you may find yourself giving a ton of gifts to several different people. Instead of reciprocating gifts with everyone, you may want to ask the different groups you are in if they would like to do a secret santa this year.
This way you only have to give one person a gift instead of possibly buying 10 or 20. It can also save a lot of time, and you can devote more thought into one gift.
I know when I have to give several gifts that it becomes very difficult to put a decent amount of thought into each one.
Have a potluck.
Instead of just one person making all of the food for everyone, it’s always much easier on everyone and more affordable if everyone pitches in. This way someone can just bring a side, or ham, or turkey instead of one person spending a full 24 hours frantically making a meal for many people.
Use coupons.
When you do have to buy a gift for someone, don’t hesitate to use a coupon. I’m not sure why but there are people out there who think using coupons on a gift is wrong. Why though? It’s not like the person would even know!
Anyway, around the holidays, there are usually several coupons that are sent out via email, catalogs, in the mail, and more. Don’t hesitate to use them and shop where the best deals are.
How do you plan on saving money on the holidays this year?
How much do you think the holidays will cost you?
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