It’s that time of year again – Christmas. From dazzling snowflakes to Santa’s white beard, there’s something about Christmas that sends out a warm feeling even when it’s freezing outside. Chances are this Christmas, you’re looking for some easy ways to save money on your gifts.
Let’s dive in and take a close look at five ways you can keep extra money in your pockets this holiday season:
Do a family gift exchange
Is your family big? Even if it’s not, buying for your two cousins, one sibling, mother and father, aunt and uncle, hubby and your own kiddos can be quite expensive. This year, give a family gift exchange a try.
This way, you can focus the most of your funds on your little ones. You and the rest of the family can take part in buying one gift for one other person. By doing this, everyone still gets a gift and everyone still saves some money.
Be practical
Make sure you take a moment this Christmas to be realistic about the gifts you are giving. For example, if your son tends to play a PS3 game only a couple of times and then moves on to something else, don’t waste your money on a bunch of PS3 games. Instead, consider giving him a $25 gift card to a local game rental store.
There are also many times where you don’t have to give every person their own gift. If it isn’t immediate family, maybe consider a broad gift that you can give the whole family.
Buy discounted wrapping
You can save lots of money by buying discounted wrapping paper. Think about it. If you normally spend $4 a roll on paper, at 10 rolls that’s $40. If you buy discounted wrapping paper at $1 a roll, that’s only $10. Buy discounted too when it comes to gift boxes.
Create a budget
The best way to save money at Christmas is to first sit down and create a budget. Following this, you then have to make a commitment not to go over your budget. Okay, so maybe a dollar or two over won’t hurt anything, but anything more than that will start to eat away at the money in your pockets and savings account.
If you need help creating a budget, consider hiring an accountant that specializes in personal budgets.
Fill stockings with food
If your family is anything like millions of other families, there’s a good chance you spend more than $50 on the items that go into your kiddos’ stockings. You don’t have to do this. Instead, you can fill the stockings with some of your kids favorite food items. From homemade cookies to the much-loved Reese’s, filling stockings with food is a great way to save money.
Don’t let Christmas time become a burden to you because of financial hardships. Instead, take appropriate steps to be realistic about the gifts you buy. In doing this, you can save money and still feel good.
About the Author:
April Labarron is a native of Southern California. She has her BA in English/Literature from MSJC in Menifee, CA. She views her freelance writing, not only as a career, but as her passion. Other areas of interest include movies, food, singing, soccer, traveling, shopping and a continuous desire for learning. Her career interests have ranged from veterinarian to being an accountant. She currently writes article pieces for W. A. Campion, an accounting firm based in Minneapolis, MN. She lives on her own and is accompanied by her Pomeranian named, Elvis. She currently resides in Temecula, CA.
Image credit: Naito8 | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
