How to Shop Within Your Budget for the Holidays

The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone. Here are some tips to ease any holiday financial stresses you may have.

Step 1: Decide your budget.

Only you can decide what is enough and what is too much for you to spend. When you're making your holiday budget keep in mind your current level of debt (consumer and education) and what bills you will need to pay immediately after Christmas. Make a list of every one you'd like to buy gifts for and then select the ones that you absolutely MUST buy gifts for. Buy gifts for those first and then if you have any left over money buy some gifts for the "like to" list.

Step 2: Find deals.

Christmas season can be a bargain shoppers dreamland. Christmas deals, Christmas savings, and after Thanksgiving sales can really help you when you're buying Christmas presents. Decide before you go shopping what you're getting for each person on your list so you don't get distracted and go far beyond your budget. Stick to the list!

Make use of coupons, rebates, and any credit rewards that you currently have. Don't spend in order to get rewards, simply use the rewards you already have. My favorite site for coupons is Coupon Cabin. I recently bought a $100 gift certificate for $16. Shop around for the best deal and don't be afraid to negotiate the price on an item.

Step 3: Use only one credit card.

Preferably the card with the lowest interest rate. Take only one card with you when you go shopping so you're not tempted to splurge. If you can avoid using a credit card altogether that's even better.

Super Saver Secrets:

ü Agree to simply exchange cards with friends this year instead of splurging on extravagant gifts.

ü Make a charity donation as a gift. This works very well if you have a friend or relative who is particularly passionate about a certain cause. (Ex. I have a vegetarian friend who loved that I donated to PETA last year in her name.)

ü Home-made gift cards are excellent for the couple with kids. Make a gift-card for free babysitting. You can do this for anything. Gift cards can be made for massages, yard work, pet-sitting. Just about anything you can think of.

ü Make use of Ebay and Amazon. You can find some excellent deals on these sites, just be sure whatever you are buying is quality.