SEVEN CREATIVE WAYS TO SAVE MONEY DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
finance
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photo by steed media service |
‘Tis the season for giving, but when finances suffer from playing Santa, sometimes merrymakers must seek alternatives to avoid breaking the bank during the holiday season. So to guard against spending the next 11 months of the year paying for Christmas, here are a few imaginative ways to keep the holiday spirit and your savings intact.
Give homemade gifts. Let your imagination run free. Jewelry boxes made from old cigar boxes decorated with painted elbow macaroni, necklaces made from Froot Loops cereal and instruments made from empty coffee cans and oatmeal containers make for great inexpensive presents. Check Web sites like www.disneyfamily.com under their Arts and Crafts section to let your creative juices flow.
Buy used. Second-hand stores, Goodwill and pawnshops are great places to find children’s books, toys and even clothes. If the merchandise is still in good condition, small children won’t know that it’s used. You may also be able to locate gems online at sites like www.ebay.com or www.craigslist.com for electronics. Great deals on computers, i-Pods and MP3 players in perfect working condition can be found on the Internet.
Find alternatives to wrapping paper. Use magazine pages and the comic section of the newspaper. If you have small children, use their artwork and holiday crafts from school. Imagine the joy your little one will feel seeing his or her artwork wrapped around grandma’s gift.
Shop at discount stores for gifts under $5. Target, Wal-Mart, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have a plethora of gifts under $5 that kids love. Everything from stocking stuffers like die-cast cars, doll sets, toy trucks and balls, to play doctor kits and children’s canopies can be found in $5, $10 and $15 increments.
Open a Christmas fund account with your bank. Throughout the year have a portion of your check direct deposited into a Christmas account and set it up so you can’t touch the funds until a specific date – Dec. 1 for instance.
Set a budget and stick to it. Realistically calculate how much you can afford to spend. If possible, don’t do your Christmas shopping on your credit card. Decide in advance what you will spend and stick to it.
Shop around. Compare prices. Look for bargains and sale items. Keep an eye open for clearance racks in department stores. Also, consider shopping the day after Thanksgiving. Many stores slash prices for only a few hours and open as early as 5 a.m. This year, some stores are opening at midnight on Thanksgiving, so be prepared to stake out in front of your favorite department store. –c. wade
