****************
1. Make and Keep a Budget:
The number one way to save money is to start by knowing where your money is going. This can be done by creating a budget. A budget is, simply put, a record of where all your financial resources are going. One does not need to make a certain amount of money to budget, but they simply need to keep track of their expenses. Once you have your budget the key is sticking to it. Oftentimes during the Holidays we can be tempted to splurge a little, but if you are struggling to stretch your dollars on a regular basis then I would advise against splurging. Ask yourself do you really need that item or do you just want it?
2. Make a Shopping List and stick to it:
Another great way to save money is to create a shopping list with all of your needs first and then your wants if you have left over money. When you are creating your list you want to determine what your needs are, like milk, verses what your wants are, like coffee. It is even more vital to stick to your list in the holiday season; just because something is on sale and seems to be a 'great sale' does not mean that it is something you should purchase. If it's not in the budget then the sale may not be that 'great', especially if it causes you to go over budget.
3. Shop at ALDI:
This is just my little plug-in for ALDI. I am a huge fan of ALDI both for their incredible prices and for their quality. It is not every day that you come across both. My point here is that when you are grocery shopping you want to stick to affordable stores that you are familiar with. Try to avoid stores that will have more distracting items that could try to lure out your wallet. Focus on what you need to purchase. ALDI is a great store for that!
4. Avoid Black Friday shopping like the plague:
This tip is HUGE during this time of year. You will be plagued with ads, coupons, and reminders about Black Friday sales, which now begin way before Friday! This is the time when you really need to differentiate between your needs and your wants. If there is something you need that is on sale for a good price then remember to budget for that at the beginning of the month. More often than not though, many of the "great sales" during Black Friday are items that you would not have otherwise bought. Why clutter up your home with more stuff that you don't need? Especially if you are already struggling with stretching your dollars? Black Friday may seem like a fun experience--especially for people watchers--but my advice is to avoid it. IF you do need to buy something that day, why don't you order it online to avoid impulse buys at the store?
5. Be Creative with your gifts:
Finally be creative with your gifts. Yes, this is the season of giving. People love giving and receiving gifts and why should you be limited because your income is fixed? You want to give your loved ones gifts just like everyone else does. This Holiday season consider how you give gifts. Instead of just buying another trinket for someone to add to their closet, maybe consider giving them an experience. What resources do you already have that you can use to give someone a great gift. What could you make for someone? Where could you take someone? We were created with the ability to create so use that to give gifts to people.
************
I hope these 5 tips help you this holiday season! I know some of these may seem "extreme" to some people and there are always exceptions to rules, but before you go and proclaim that you are the exception it is good to ask yourself if that's really true. Or are you trying to justify spending more money?
Let us focus on saving this holiday season so that we can make sure we have what we need before what we want.
**********
Resources:
https://www.aldi.us/
https://celebrateyourplate.org/
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/12/3/stretching-holiday-food-budget-during-busy-holiday-season
No comments:
Post a Comment