The holidays can be stressful. There is the giddiness that fills the air and the magic of the first snowfall. Little noses pressed against the window in anticipation of the arrival of the Jolly Elf and the gathering of friends and family. It’s also a time of budgets stretched thin, wish lists that never seem to end, and trying to keep it all on track.
Enjoy three takes on surviving the holidays financially below. It’s three women’s perspectives on how to get creative and make the holidays about family and love.
The holiday season is incredibly fun, happy, and seriously crazy with its demands on us as parents, people, and monetarily! Here is how some of your favorite bloggers get creative, crafty, and really frugal with the demanding season! Pittsburgh Frugal Mom, Natural Hair Latina, and Mommy’s Memorandum have gotten down and dirty with savings and getting the most out of your holiday with money, gifts and enjoyment!
First up, let’s get crafty and remember the true spirit of the holidays with some well-voiced thoughts from Mommy’s Memorandum who knows there is more to the season of gifting than buying those commercial gifts!
Mommy’s Memorandum offers some great insight into the season of gifting!
There are so many options…we’ve:
- dipped plastic spoons in flavored chocolate and caramel for coffee stirrers
- created ornaments–as simple as tracing our new baby’s hand on construction paper or using clothes pins to make reindeer
- Taken #10 cans, added a cord, and made Puddle Hoppers.
- Made neck warmers with rice and dishtowels,
- drew circles on paper, and colored the center red for target practice
Holiday shopping reality is setting in. You know your family deserves all the gifts in the world, but perhaps you’re not sure just how you’ll pay for them. You could max out your credit cards, but debt doesn’t sound like the brightest idea. You need to set a budget.
Setting a realistic holiday shopping budget means you need to prioritize and plan how you will spend your money.
Decide how much you will spend on on each person and remember If you overspend in one area, you’ll have to make up for it by spending less on something else. Also, be creative. Think Frugal and DIY!
Setting a realistic budget doesn’t mean you can’t have the perfect holiday on a budget. It is only a means of making it affordable so you can enjoy your holiday without worrying about how much it cost.
Pittsburgh Frugal Mom loves the holiday season and her insight is all focused on earning while you spend! Pittsburgh Frugal Mom loves gift cards as they are a one-size fits all and the choice is vast! Many grocery stores across our great nation offer future discounted gasoline purchases when you buy gift cards in their store for gifts or your own use, but how you actually manage these cards will make the difference in your spending habits. Buying a gift card and stashing it in your purse is a waste, don’t let balances go unspent, use a great app to mange those cards!
Did you know that gift card purchases are up this year and sales continue to rise, but if you have gift cards in your wallet make sure you are using them! If you are stocking up on gift cards to cash in on the gasoline perks popping up at the different grocery stores in our area, make sure you have a handy app to manage those card balances: GoWallet. You can use the app from your computer or your smartphone. GoWallet is a one stop place for your gift cards to be managed in and it offers real-time gift card balances for supported gift cards. Your information is with you all the time on your phone. Wallet is a secure alternative to toting around your cards. The app provides access to your cards immediately and you have access to your cards, leaving you with no unspent balances, which is very frugal!
Save your money, think before you spend and remember the true spirit of Christmas is green, and that is only in the trees you see!