Canadian Finance Blog

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Christmas is coming… The Funds are Getting Thin Posted: 24 Sep 2011 02:00 AM PDT The race is on and it seems that Christmas is right around the corner. There are decorations to be set up, presents to be wrapped and a wallet full of cash to be spent. But what if you don’t have a wallet full of cash or even a savings account to fall back on? You might consider using credit cards to get you over the hump, or you can check out some of these helpful tips and ideas for saving money on Christmas all year long. What do you usually spend during the Christmas holidays? Come up with a budget based on what you have spent in the past and what you would like to spend in the future. Now, divide that by twelve and you have an amount that you need to save each and every month. Keep this money separate and only use it if you are making early Christmas purchases. Most of your Christmas budget probably goes on the presents. You can’t leave anyone out. You don’t want to cheap out and not get your loved ones something nice. It can be an overwhelming process as a whole. Instead of waiting until the last minute and spending all your cash, consider picking up gifts throughout the year. Start out with a list of all the people that you need to buy gifts for. As you find things, purchase them and tuck them away in a closet or under the bed. Then, check the name off the list and you are even closer to completing your Christmas shopping. Kids are the easiest to shop for. Just check out the sales during the year. Many stores put toys on clearance if they have been on the shelves for too long. They need to make room for new merchandise. If a friend tells you that they want something for their birthday and they don’t get it. Be the hero! Pick it up now and save it for Christmas. They will be so excited that you remembered. Decorations can sometimes be a hassle as well. If you can, save a little money to spend right after Christmas. Retailers need to make room in their stores and they want to get rid of all the holiday items. In most cases you will save 50% or more on decorations, wrapping paper and even ornaments. Just tuck these away in a safe place and when November rolls around you will be able to decorate in style. Don’t overlook the savings that come from homemade gifts and decorations. You don’t always have to spend a lot of money to get fabulous results. If you are a wiz with a sewing machine consider making everyone something special for their home. If everyone raves about your cooking, bake sweet treats to distribute throughout the holiday season. People will appreciate all the effort that you went to in order to make their Christmas special. While this is not always the most popular idea, consider being content with what you have. Make every effort to make the holiday season a good one without spending tons of money. This is a great time to spend with family and friends and realizing just how blessed you really are. Look around and remember that the decorating, the presents and the food aren’t going to make the holidays wonderful; you are. If you do decide to go down the credit card route and your credit score is less than perfect, you can compare bad credit credit cards at moneysupermarket. Related Posts: How To Start Planning For Christmas And Save Preparing For Christmas in June Cheap Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas Christmas is coming… The Funds are Getting Thin originally appeared on Canadian Finance Blog on September 24, 2011.

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