Holidays can be expensive! Thank heavens for holiday bonuses and 13th month pays but after the holidays, when everything will be back to normal, one can’t help but think of the holiday cost and the unnecessary cash-outs we did for the holidays and feel its aftermath. Not that spending on holidays is bad but truth be told, there are many instances during holidays that we could have cut cost and still be merry!
And since I consider this week as the start of the holiday season officially, it is only proper for me to give gentle advices to those of you who would want to somehow lessen the holiday cost without appearing like a cheapskate:
· Put aside a holiday budget. Consider your current financial standing and the money you have onhand. If you have been a good senior putting aside little bits of money for the holiday since last January then by now you must have plenty to spare but I’m sure that is not always the case. Some are depending only with the money they have right now and just charge everything against their credit cards to be paid at a later time. Both ways are good although I prefer the former than the latter, however, if you are planning to use your credit card for the holidays, make sure that you limit yourself to your holiday budget and not a cent more. Plus, your holiday budget should only be a month’s worth of your income just so it would be easier to pay them after holidays.
· A holiday budget for all. The holiday budget you’ve set aside should encompass everything that you’ll ever need for the holidays such as gifts, events, trip expenditures (if you are planning to go on a holiday trip) etc.
· Make a list. Everything that you’ll ever need for the holidays should be listed down so you’ll be able to see how much you should allocate each. The same should be done to your gift list.
· Trim down your gift list and limit it only to those who really matter most. Start with your immediate family then work your way out. Work on your friends’ list according to priority. It’s okay to not give every Jane and Joe that comes your way, or if you really have to then no need to give them something expensive, a greeting card would do.
· Plan your shopping. Be a smart shopper and take advantage of the many sales, deals and offers stores are giving away, even online shops are marking down their prices for the holiday! Scour thrift shops as well, if you still have time, since they are excellent sources for antique pieces and vintage jewelry sold at a very low price.
· Skip the gift wrapping. Don’t worry, with all those “eco” thing going on, no one’s going to raise an eyebrow if you hand out unwrapped gifts. Just a little ribbon on top of it and you’re done.