Ho, Ho, Hold the Christmas Budget

With the wicked cold weather and the Christmas music playing all around us, many people are thinking about Christmas shopping.  So how do you get to be Santa now without being Scrooge come the January credit card bills?

Well you have a few options.  The first step is to come up with your list of who you need to buy for.  This saves you the embarassment of forgetting an important gift, and the frustration of being in the mall going "who do I still have to buy for?"  If you are really good you can put down a few ideas of what you know someone will like. 

Secondly, you need to figure out your budget.  How much per person and how much in total.  If you don't do this it gets very expensive, very fast.  It doesn't seem like a lot when it's broken into a few dollars here and a few dollars there, but it adds up faster than you can imagine.

Thirdly, consider putting yourself on a cash only Christmas shopping diet.  Pulling out the plastic doesn't ring home the true expense, while having to hand over the actual cold, hard cash makes us delightfully aware of our spending.  If you have to use plastic, limit yourself to one card.

Fourthly, decide where, when, and how you want to shop.  I find that it is easier and cheaper to do it in one foul swoop during the day, during the week.  The stores are quieter, which allows me to get in and out faster.  If you are shopping online, allow yourself time for delivery.  See what options you have for shipping for gifts that are going out of town.  Shipping can be as expensive as the gifts, so see if the merchant can ship direct for you.

Enjoy the festive sesaon by making a plan and checking it twice just like the wise old elf.

"Santa has the right idea -- visit people only once a year."

-Victor Borge

"All holidays can be good times."

-John Clayton