The holiday season is one of the most magical times of the year. But, it often brings with it a lot of stress and difficulty when it comes to planning – and affording – how you’re going to handle gifts this year. The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help manage the stress you might feel around the holiday season, and the earlier you start implementing them, the more stress-free your holidays can be. While it may feel far away, the holidays will be here before you know it.
Here are a few tips to help you and your family plan for the financial side of the festive season.
- Open a Christmas Savings Account – A Christmas Club Savings Account is one of the best ways to build up a healthy shopping budget for the holiday season. Once you open your Christmas savings account, you can make unlimited deposits throughout the year and use it as a place to sock away your shopping money. In October of every year, the account pays out what you have saved so that your holiday shopping is less of a hit and has been spread out all year long.
- Set a Budget with Boundaries – Before the holiday season sneaks up on you, go ahead and plan out what you can spend on gifts this year. Just as important as setting a budget, you also have to be able to stick to it! Establishing healthy boundaries on what you can smartly afford helps to keep yourself in check when stores try to reel you in with discounts and deals. Remember, if your budget has been used, then you can’t afford it!
- Get Creative – There are plenty of ways to get creative with your holiday gifting. By visiting thrift shops or crafting gifts of your very own, you can often find more meaningful gifts and treasures that your loved ones will value even more. Not only are they typically more cost-effective, but they’re also a lot of fun to make or find! If you start early, you can make sure that you’ve got plenty of time to find the most perfect gift possible.
The key to a happy and financially stress-free holiday is proper planning. Start thinking ahead now about how you can make the most of your money and be smart with your cash. When the planning is done early, your main focus this holiday season will be focusing on the time you get to spend with your loved ones – and that’s really what the holidays are all about!