HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — During the holiday season - a lot of spending can take place, but it's important not to let the joy of spending now break your holiday spirit later.
Thanksgiving feasts and presents for your loved ones can really start to add up if you're not paying attention. This could really put a damper on your holiday spirit, but here are some ways you can keep the holidays merry and bright without breaking the bank.
The holidays are a time for feasts. Those have to be bought and prepared -- and for presents, those have to be bought and given...and the list of expenses goes on.
But there are a few things you can do to make sure you don't leave a hole in your wallet for the next couple of months.
- Go ahead and create a list and set a budget.
- Avoid impulse spending and add-ons.
To do this, ask yourself - is it on my budget list? If the answer is no, that item goes back to the shelf and not in your cart.
Lindsay George with the Better Business Bureau advises, "You wanna make sure you're reading all the signs and looking for the best deal for the items that are on your list and pretty much stick to it."
Many people carry purses while shopping but George says while shopping, you should carry another accessory with you...a calculator. There's a good reason why.
George says, "We may see those signs is offering a 50% off on various items or buy one get one free. But it's important to know you know what exactly is the normal price? Is it actually a sale less why it's important to have that calculator handy before you actually get to the register to understand what exactly you're buying and how much you're actually spending to actually see it was actually a good deal."
So, say you've done all of your in-store shopping but that last item on your list is online. Instead of paying shipping and handling, there is another way you can still get your item and save a couple bucks.
George says, "Some stores do offer the opportunity to pick up the items in-store, or you can actually drive up and pick up those items to cut down on those shipping costs because we wait to the last minute we had to pay for express shipping and that can cut into your budget as well."