Money Saving Tips to Get You Through This Holiday Season

With the fall and winter holidays approaching, thoughts that used to turn to how much fun they would be are turning to how to pay for them. Grandparents who went through similar times during the Depression are not all here to give tips on how to get through these times

The first way to save money is to not spend it, which is elementary, my dear Watson, but easier said than done. When tradition says that each person in the extended family should give a present to each of the others, it is hard to change. How about if a few people pool their money and buy things that will be from all of them? Especially if someone wants an item that is quite expensive, it makes perfect sense for it to be from the parents, the siblings, the aunts and uncles and the cousins. It will be appreciated and the givers will be remembered each time it is used.

Homemade gifts are a great way to save money, but if your skills do not lie in the creative area, you can still save. Offering to do things like put up lights or decorate trees for friends and family members who no longer enjoy doing such things can be appreciated more than you imagine. It doesn't take a whole lot of creativity to put lights and decorations where they've been put for years.

Offering to do things like leaf raking and snow shoveling is a generous way to give your time and effort, and will also be good exercise. If you don't have time to take care of your own yard, never mind anyone else's, offer to drive or to baby-sit or whatever else is needed.

As far as holiday parties go, there are probably already enough to fill most schedules. It is really not necessary to throw another. If tradition says you must, make it a pot-luck. At least have someone else bring something.

If you need to mail most of the gifts you buy because your family has spread far and wide, mail gift cards. You can save an amazing amount on postage, and you can be sure you aren't sending something the recipient already has or is no longer interested in having. Of course the amount you spent on each gift is obvious, but this is a small price to pay. The idea that there wasn't enough personal thought put into buying a gift card is so last century. If you know where the person would like to buy something but is not usually willing to spend hard earned money, the shopping is done.

For the people who are nearly impossible to buy for because they already have everything they could possibly need, a donation to a charity you know would be important to them is a good idea. If you don't want to be responsible for another lifetime supply of return address labels, do it anonymously. Let the people in whose names you made the donations know that you've done so, and that they won't be receiving a constant supply of requests for more money.

With gifts and parties costing less than expected, the next item on the list of how to save money is travel. If family reunions only happen every five years or so, they are more memorable, affordable and appreciated than if they are an annual event. If the family can have a long distance get-together on a couple of speaker phones, there can be fond memories that don't cost an arm and a leg.

After ringing in the New Year, it shouldn't be necessary to be looking at enormous bills from the old one. Happy Holidays!