In a blink of an eye, Christmas will be here before you know it. To keep your Holiday Stress Free, I’ve got 5 tips to help you to start preparing now!
Even before Halloween season began, the stores put out their Christmas stock on the showroom. They are prepared and they want you to buy, buy and buy! Many of us aren’t prepared. We’re just thinking about Thanksgivings and we just want to take it one holiday at a time. However in order to have a debt free Christmas. We must prepare and prepare now.
Here are my 5 tips on How to Have a Debt Free Christmas.
1. Start making a list. For everyone, you plan on purchasing a present for. Make sure to include teachers, neighbors as well as gift exchanges at work and holiday tips for all those “extra people” like the newspaper person, hair stylist, etc..
2. Set a budget. Without setting a budget this is one of the easiest ways we find ourselves digging a deep hole filled with holiday debt. Really it’s not a shock! Christmas comes ever year on the same day 12/25. However, the majority of us fail to prepare for this day. Stretch your budget by finding online deals. For example, if you are planning on making a purchase at Amazon. Take a look at the right column and check other sellers for lower prices and shipping costs. You can also sign up of a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime and take advantage of their free two-day shipping.
3. Look for ways to purchase gifts without using cash or credit/debit. What do I mean by that? If you use credit cards that have merchandise/cash points, consider redeeming those instead and purchasing gifts. Another great way is to enter giveaways. Lots of bloggers including myself will have giveaways on their blog. Find one of your favorite blogger and/or look for smaller blogs and enter.
4. Consider a “re-gifting” swap. I know that re-gifting sounds terrible and you don’t really want to do that with family in fear it may hurt someone’s feeling or cause conflict with them, so instead why not consider getting a group of friends together and swapping those unused items.
5. Buy used and repurpose – Head to your local thrift store or yard sale and find an item you can repurpose. Items such as a frame, turning it into a shadow box, menu board etc..
Overall – remember it’s the thought that counts and the season is for Giving!! Think about everything you got for Christmas last year? Can you remember what they were? Can you remember all the gifts you bought your children? Can they remember? Often times we buy stuff just to have stuff to unwrap during the holidays and the gifts aren’t memorable. Why put yourself in debt for gifts that aren’t memorable.
I’d love to hear your tips on how to have a debt free Christmas.