Christmas is the same date every year. With that being said, it is still a day when a lot of people go into massive amounts of debt just to get in the Christmas spirit. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. But, is it when your playing catch up on credit card bills months later? There are actual steps that you can put into place now in order to save for Christmas.
This does not have to be hard or unattainable. We put to practice each of these 7 ways to make sure we have a holly, jolly Christmas each and every year.
Yes, Christmas is not just about gift giving for us. It is the day that we celebrate our Savior’s birth. However, we have three children that are very eager to not only sing Happy Birthday Jesus but to also tear open Christmas wrapped gifts and scream in excitement.
As a parent, it does warm your heart to be able to provide a wonderful Christmas full of memories to remember for years to come. So, therefore we make sure we practice what we preach and our Christmas shopping is usually all finished at least 6 to 7 months in advance. Believe it or not, we finished all of our Christmas shopping this year for our children by February. This tips really do work!
7 Best Ways To Save for Christmas Now
1. Set a Budget
This is a very crucial part to help you not go into debt for Christmas. Sit down well before Christmas and set an affordable budget for gift purchases. We personally like to do this early in the year, so that we can shop sales all year round.
VIDEO: How To Budget For Christmas (Real Shopping Haul)
2. Set Up a Christmas Account
Check to see if your bank or credit union offers special accounts for Christmas. The way the account works is, you set a specific dollar amount that you would like for your bank to pull out of your account each month, to set aside for you. Your bank will mail you a check or deposit all of the money you saved all year round, into your account a few months before Christmas. That way you will have money to spend on gifts. If your bank does not offer such accounts, set up a separate account used strictly for this purpose.
3. Use Cash
Always use cash while shopping for Christmas. Avoid using credit by any means. It is easy to spend, spend, spend when you are not using cash. If you go to the store with cash in hand, you are more than likely less tempted to spend more than you allotted for.
4. Be Creative
Think of a special talent or gift that you have, that you may want to share with others. Bake your famous cookies and put them in a decorative tin that you can purchase from the Dollar Tree. Check out Pinterest for many ideas to help you in this process.
5. Grab Bag
If you have a large family or group of friends, then consider setting up a grab bag system. There is no need for everyone to receive a gift, especially if this is at the cost of you going into debt. Everyone can pull a name from a hat and buy just that person a special gift. This allows everyone to participate without feeling guilty if they can’t afford everyone a gift.
6. Shop Online
When you shop online you are less tempted by the beautiful displays and markdowns, that you will usually see inside of a store. It is so easy to buy more than you need to, especially when you are walking pass aisles and aisles of displays that are set up to encourage you to buy, buy, buy! Most online stores offer free in-store pickup, so you won’t have to pay for shipping. Don’t forget Free Shipping Day on December 18 of every year. There are over 800 stores that participate. All stores will have free shipping and guarantee your purchase will be delivered by Christmas Eve. The best part about this offer, there is no minimum purchase required!
7. Shop All Year Round
This is one of our favorite things to do. This is why we mentioned make sure you set your budget earlier on in the year. Whenever stores have markdowns and special discounts, that is when we buy. Majority of our children’s Christmas shopping was completed by February. We took advantage of all of the after Christmas markdowns and sales!
What are some ways that you plan to avoid being trapped by Christmas debt this year?
