Smart Budgeting

Get a Head Start on Holiday Savings with these Tips

Whether you’re excited to give or receive gifts, it's never too early to begin your holiday planning and shopping. Keep both the holidays and your bank account merry this year by following this simple list to start your holiday savings:

Set dollar limits

Stick to price limits for each person on your list. For example, $25 for adults, $10-15 for each child, depending on their ages. And if you have group gifts for couples or families, be sure to set limits that still fit your budget.

Make your list & check it twice

Be sure to have a list of who you'll be buying gifts for this year. This will keep you focused and organized. Also don’t be afraid to use last year's list– that can be a great starting point.

Keep that list tight

Haven’t kept in touch with some friends this year? Maybe sending a heartfelt, handwritten holiday card instead can go a little farther for your friendship, and your savings.

Do the math

Now that you have a list of people and costs, add up the dollar limits then add another ten percent, just to be safe. Now you've got your target budget for this holiday shopping season.

Buy one or two gifts weekly to spend money in smaller amounts

If you do, your budget will likely handle it better than a huge chunk coming out a week or two before the holiday hits. If you have eight people on your list and shop for two a week, you'll be done in just four weeks.

Buy only items on sale

Clearance items can save you big-time bucks! Check flyers in your local newspapers, look online for ads, and check your emails for any deals on the horizon. That can give you a head-start on shopping during big sales like Black Friday or Cyber Monday.

Control your spending

Do you normally buy lunch? Try trimming it back and taking lunch in with you a few days every week. Do you pay five dollars for a latte four or five times a week? Make your own coffee at home for the next few weeks and then you can put upwards of an extra $25 a week into your holiday budget.

Bake up some extra love to give as gifts.

You can find some lovely tins, holiday bags, and decorative boxes to add a little glitz when you gift your sought-after gingerbread cookies or other delicious holiday goodies. The service professionals who are regulars on your gift list, like postal workers, garbage collection crews, and bank clerks, would probably love a box of your baked goods.

Remember the reason for the season.

The amount you spend in no way reflects how you feel about the loved ones on your holiday gift list.

Applying these gems in your life will give you a great head start to holiday savings and will reduce your holiday budget stress, too. Happy holidays!

Using these tips and you GO2bank mobile account are sure to help you save. Learn more about how you can use GO2bank’s mobile bank account to help track spending this holiday season. Reduce your holiday budget stress and get a great head start to holiday savings. Happy holidays!

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