Retailers want us to be thinking about the holidays. They’re starting to stock holiday merchandise, so it’s a really good time to plan ahead and think how you would like to celebrate this year.
Saving money year-round to prepare for the end-of-year festivities is ideal, but whether that has been done this year or not, it’s not too late.
What you could do is decrease your other spending right now and substitute your holiday spending for that. Try to do this by keeping within the total monthly spending that you have been doing.
Then make a plan. It’s okay to start by thinking or dreaming big, then, get real.
Take a look at the things you might like to do and then really take a good, hard look at what your resources are. How much money do you want to spend, and how much can you really afford to spend? How much can your budget handle?
Things can be more enjoyable if we keep them simple and focus on the real point of the holidays. Ask yourself: Why are we doing it? What brings us the most pleasure? Those things don’t always cost money.
By: Brenda Langdon
