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10 Ways to Avoid Overspending this Christmas

Gina Young · December 6, 2014 · 14 Comments

Shopping for everyone on your list, attending all of the holiday parties, and taking in all of the sights and sounds of Christmas can get expensive—but it doesn’t have to.  There are a few steps that you can follow to ensure that you don’t end up with the winter blues, a whole lot of regret, and a huge credit card bill come January. Follow these 10 ways to avoid overspending this Christmas.

Make sure that you don't end up with a huge credit card bill for the New Year. Check out these 10 Ways to Avoid Overspending This Christmas. #budget #Christmas #Christmasgifts #gifts #Christmasbudget #holiday #shopping #money #finance #newyearsresolution

How do I avoid overspending during the holidays?

It may seem impossible to not spend too much during the holidays.  You want to be able to enjoy parties, events, and even travel during this time, right?  Only a Grinch would be worried about finances during the holidays!  Believe it or not, you can do both— enjoy the holidays and still be aware of your finances… by planning ahead of time.  Here are 10 ways to help you plan ahead to avoid overspending at Christmas.

Make a list.

Don’t just set out to shop without a game plan. Write down who you are buying for and what you want to get for them. And remember, if it’s not on the list—don’t buy it!

Set a budget.

Decide ahead of time how much you want to spend on the gifts you will buy. The easiest way to not overspend is to set aside a certain amount of cash, when the money is gone, your shopping is done. If you are buying online or using a credit card, save your receipts and make sure to keep track of your spending.

Don’t get drawn in by “biggest SALE of the season” advertising.

Just when you think that Black Friday has the best sales, then Cyber Monday comes along with a whole new plethora of items on sale. Really, until Christmas Eve, you can count on retailers trying to entice you onto their website or into their store so you can take advantage of the Christmas savings. Don’t get me wrong, the 52” flat screen HD TV is a great buy for $300, but if you don’t really need it, then that was $300 that you didn’t really need to spend.

Focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

It is so easy to get caught up in buying the perfect gift for that special someone or making sure everything is checked off the “Santa” list, but gifts, decorations, and holiday parties are not the reason we celebrate Christmas. Remembering that we celebrate Christmas because of the birth of Jesus, spending time with family and friends, and giving to others helps get things back in perspective.

Make homemade gifts.

As much as Grandma and Grandpa enjoy getting a new pair of slippers under the tree, they would probably enjoy getting a homemade gift from their grandkids even more.  There are also plenty of homemade gift ideas that you can make for teachers, neighbors, etc.  Here is a post about how I make delicious Buckeyes and other Christmas goodies and use as gifts.

Buckeyes // Homemade Christmas Goodies #homemadegift #homemadegoodies #christmas #cookies #giftidea

Wait until the after-Christmas sales.

This won’t do you very much good this year, but planning ahead can save you 50-75% off for next year. Wait to buy lights, wrapping paper, and other decorations once they go on sale the day after Christmas.

Take advantage of gift card specials.

Many stores offer a free “gift” with purchase— $10 free gift card with a purchase of $40 of gift cards, for example. If there are items that you know you want to get from a store that offers this, buy the gift cards first, then use them to buy your gifts—and pick up a bit of extra spending power along the way.  Besides these great offers, you can take advantage of store programs year-round to earn freebies!  Interested?  Take a look at how I was able to get free gas for my car for buying Christmas gifts!

https://moneysavvyliving.com/get-free-gas-car-just-buying-christmas-gifts/

Comparison Shop.

With most stores having an online presence, it is pretty easy to look up current sales and compare from site to site which retailer has the best deals or offer free shipping.

Shop consignment stores for holiday clothes for the kids.

If you want to have the perfect holiday outfit for your kids for the annual Christmas picture, card, or school program, it can get very pricy. If you aren’t careful, you can sink quite a bit of money into a complete outfit that your rapidly growing child will only wear one or two times over the holidays.  Many consignment shops offer “nice as new” and name brand clothing for a fraction of the original cost.

Attend FREE holiday events.

Many churches, individual venues, or communities offer free events such as plays, light displays, Christmas tree lightings, caroling, and festivals. These free events can offer a lot of great family fun—and it doesn’t cost you a thing!

 

Make sure that you don't end up with a huge credit card bill for the New Year. Check out these 10 Ways to Avoid Overspending This Christmas. #budget #Christmas #Christmasgifts #gifts #Christmasbudget #holiday #shopping #money #finance #newyearsresolution

10 Ways to Avoid Overspending this Christmas #Christmasgifts #budget #holiday
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Filed Under: Budget, Christmas, Gift ideas, Money Savvy Shopping Tagged With: budget, Christmas shopping

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. pennypinchingpeach says

    December 6, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    This is a terrific list of tips!! I am super duper frugal, generally, but even I hadn’t really thought about number 7!!! Great article for keeping that Christmas budget. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Gina Young says

    December 6, 2014 at 4:27 pm

    Thanks! I’m glad to be able to offer a different money-saving idea for you!

    Reply
  3. genevieve y says

    December 12, 2014 at 5:48 pm

    This list was exactly what I needed! It’s hard to budget around holiday season but I know we can all make it happen with a bit of effort. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Kim Bolden says

    December 12, 2014 at 9:25 pm

    These are some great principles for the Christmas season. My goal is to produce more than I consume this year!

    Reply
  5. Justine Y says

    December 12, 2014 at 9:35 pm

    All really great tips. A budget is so important, as well as not falling for “huge” sales that probably really aren’t so great and you could find at any time of the year.

    Reply
  6. Nina says

    December 12, 2014 at 11:01 pm

    Love the idea about shopping the after Christmas sales. Definitely going to plan ahead more for next Christmas. Great tips! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Heather says

    December 13, 2014 at 4:35 am

    I love this, so inspirational. We are big on making homemade gifts this year, and also baking. I feel like the kids really get a deeper appreciation for things that are free and also making memories too!

    Reply
  8. Robert says

    December 1, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    In addition to making your own gifts, those that are creative can make their own decorations.

    To save the most money during the Holiday season, it really boils down to planning ahead. You mentioned budgeting and after-Christmas sales, both of which require planning ahead.

    Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    December 10, 2015 at 12:53 pm

    These are great tips, Gina! #3 is especially important, something can be a great deal, but if you don’t need it then you’re just wasting money and gaining clutter! #10 is great too, my husband and I love attending free Christmas concerts. Thanks for the ideas!

    Reply
  10. Rabia @TheLiebers says

    December 10, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    I always try to have a list before I do any shopping. Christmas impulse shopping can be devastating to your wallet!

    Reply
  11. Jamie @ Medium Sized Family says

    December 13, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Really great tips! Mindset is probably the most important part of saving money.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Share the Wealth Sunday Link Up {#34} - Money Savvy Living says:
    December 12, 2015 at 7:04 pm

    […] Money Savvy Living: 10 Ways to Avoid Overspending This Christmas […]

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  2. It's A Credit Card Christmas - MONEY® News says:
    December 2, 2016 at 6:15 pm

    […] out one of my posts, 10 Ways to Avoid Overspending This Year for Christmas and find out even more ways to get the perfect gift without overspending and going into debt. For […]

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  3. Get Back to the Basics with Your Budgeting for the New Year - Beautiful Budget Life says:
    January 1, 2017 at 4:40 pm

    […] If you don’t have a budget in place, there is no better time than now to get back to the basics with your budgeting and get your finances back on track!   The New Year is here… and that means that your bills from Christmas shopping will start rolling in soon (unless, of course you read by article 10 Ways to Avoid Overspending This Christmas!). […]

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