Today’s segment for our local news shared ways that you can have a wonderful holiday without going into debt. I shared a few quick tips for online shopping and how to not be afraid to say no to all of the gift exchanges.
This goes along with a post that I wrote last year called, “Holiday Bling Without the Bling Budget.”
Sound Off: How do you stay under budget for the holidays? Have you ever bowed out of a gift exchange because of financial reasons?
In order to stay under budget, we simply don’t buy that much. We have bought one gift for our children this year (ages 4-7 months) and that’s a nice artist easel. They will get so many gifts from family that we don’t feel the need to buy them anything else. My husband and I have a $20 limit on gifts for each other. And for the rest of our family I’m making ornaments and giving family photos, which we took ourselves and had printed at Costco.
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I shop cheap…clearance, sales, discount stores. You’d be surprised at the nice gift items you can find at the Dollar General and even the Dollar Tree. My MIL loves the Serenity Prayer, last year I found it on a glass cube at the Dollar Tree (for just a buck!), I wrapped it in a fancy satin gift box (which I also found at the Dollar Tree) and she absolutely loved it!
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Cash. Plan your budget, withdraw cash. When the envelope is empty, you’re done shopping.
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That’s about the worst way to celebrate the holidays, spending beyond your means. Starts out the new year in a horrible way.
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