Indisputably, holidays are one of the most exciting seasons of the year. Endless parties, twinkling lights, yummy cake are enough to make your feel giddy for months. However, as amazing as the holidays are, they can also turn out to be stressful if you are on a budget.
If you are not cautious while spending, your account can really take a hit. But, you don’t need to take the stress as I am here to help make your holiday shopping affordable with the help of some easy money tips. So, without any further ado, let’s get on with it.
Have A Budget
I completely understand this is not one of the most exciting things to do, but trust me this is one of the best ways to save money. If you don’t have a budget, you end up spending more than you should. You need to decide how much you can afford to spend and all you need to stick to your plan when you are out there shopping for different things.
Make Cash Payments
Yes, paying through credit card is indeed a convenient way of making payments and you also get to earn points and redeem them for free gifts. I won’t deny the fact that it is also a good way of saving money, when executed in a controlled manner. But, when you make cash payments, you won’t have to worry about any pending balances left for later. On the negative side, while using a credit card, you always have a fear of overspending. And when you make cash payments, you will pay the exact amount you have planned for. This way you are sure to save significant amount of money.
Travel Options
During holidays, most of us want to spend some quality time with our families, but it can turn costly if you have not planned your travel. What’s even worse, during holidays, the flight charges are insanely high and the highways remain jammed at most places. But, you can make savings here as well by making bookings well in advance. When you make advance bookings, you get to make travel bookings at reduced rates.
Get Creative
This is probably one of the fun ways to save money during holidays. My mom used to tell me to be as creative as possible and do all the things that helps you save. She taught me to make hand-made greeting cards and this will help you save money which you otherwise will spend buying those costly & fancy greeting cards.
I was also taught to make home made gifts, which really gives you an opportunity to explore your creative side while saving money. We all know the prices of the gifts soar during holidays, so making homemade gifts really is a cheaper alternative.
Decorations
You can also make significant savings on decorations by keeping the things simple and at the same time adding that festive element to the decorative items. You can involve your friends and family members in bringing out their crafting skills and helping you decorate your home.
Take Care Of Your Bills
During holidays, the electricity bills shoot up. So, try and wear as much warm clothes as you can so that you don’t need to keep the temperature up. You can use candles or fire to keep you and your friends warm & cozy while you make the most of the festive mood. You should also take special care of your phone bills during holidays. We often talk for longer durations giving wishes to our loved ones, instead you should keep a check on the time and avoid going overboard.
Buy and Keep
One of the easiest ways to save includes buying for the next year, especially when the holiday season gets over. This is the time when everything goes on sale and you get an opportunity of buying your favourite items on discounted prices. So, you can go on a shopping spree and buy & keep things for the next year. This way you will be reducing your holiday stress for the next year as well.