It’s Christmastime and your spending campaign is almost certainly getting into gear. If you worry about Christmas as much as you enjoy it because of the expenses involved, then it’s time to take control of your money so that you don’t have to squeeze every penny until next summer!
Lots of us only have a vague idea as to what we’ll spend, which is why they go over budget. Too many of us also forget about the additional items like wrapping paper, fancy sticking tape and gift tags, which can all bump up your total spend. You need to get serious about planning and itemising.
This is the Christmas for taking control
You can make the start of 2019 slightly more comfortable by going into it with fewer money worries. You can always head here for advice and ideas on budgeting and planning if you’re not the world’s greatest financial planner.
Once you’ve pinned down your budget, your next task is to work out how you can come in under it! Look for corners to cut, bargains to bag and discounts to haggle for.
Always use your loyalty cards
If you often forget your loyalty cards when you’re out shopping, find a way to remind yourself to take them along. You could have a special Christmas shopping bag that you keep them in, for example. Most of the larger chain stores have special points promotions on throughout December, so you could get, for example, an extra £5.00 worth with purchases over £20.00. Try to build up your points balances so that you can use them to get the last bits and pieces in.
Plan way ahead
We all know that Christmas Day is on December 25 each year! You set aside money for your predictable monthly bills, so why not think about this big annual bill? As soon as you’ve done your spending for this year, don’t suddenly forget about your loyalty cards – a year is plenty of time to accumulate some spends! You should also buy stocking fillers and accessories like wrapping paper and boxes in the January sales.
Create a very strict shopping list
You can’t deviate from this list unless you find something cheaper – and then you buy that instead of, not as well as! Once one person’s catered for, cross them right off!
Book travel tickets as far in advance as possible
Ideally, you should book plane, bus or train tickets in October, but if you haven’t, you can still get some good deals. The sooner you book, the better; just don’t leave it until the last minute!
You don’t have to buy everything before Christmas
Most of us have a branch of the family or a bunch of friends that we see just after Christmas or for New Year. Leave their presents until December 26 or 27 so you can pick up some deep discounts. You might miss out on some items, though, so be ready to be flexible.
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
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