Well, Christmas is coming! And that means the end of the year is quickly approaching. It always seems hard to believe when you see those first Christmas lights go up that it’s this time of year again.
I’m enjoying Christmas shopping more than usual this year. For starters, I made a list of everyone I’m buying gifts for and I have the amount I’m spending beside each person on my list. I have saved up this money already, so that takes the stress out of Christmas shopping. Of course, I’ve already had to start shuffling around amounts – borrowing money from different people’s columns because I’ve overspent on some gifts already!
I’m also enjoying Christmas shopping this year because my kids are getting older and it has been fun to think of things that aren’t necessarily on their lists but that I know they’d love regardless. I mean, after all, their lists are hilarious and ridiculous. The kids range in age from ten to six and each list has a cell phone, laptop, iPod, TV, etc. on it. I seem to remember circling toys in the “Sears Wish Book” at their age – not asking for every possible electronic device out there (Although, I did get a sweet Sony Walkman with the cassette option one year. It even had a belt clip, if I recall, which made it even more awesome. Imagine clipping that huge thing on your belt nowadays? I found a picture of one online and showed my kids. They weren’t impressed).
I also remember the time I got my own phone for my room (no, not the wireless kind!). I told my kids this and they didn’t understand because they’ve never even seen one of those spirally phone cords that limited our movement to a six-foot radius around the phone.
I actually shopped online more than usual this year for Christmas – I even took advantage of some “black Friday” deals and had three items shipped to a postal box in the States. I have never done that before, so we’ll see how that goes when it’s all said and done.
I just wanted to take this time to encourage you in your budgeting. Having a budget doesn't mean that you are cheap or that you are always looking for or finding the best deals. To me, it just means you know where your money has gone and where it is going to go. It means that you are trying to spend less or the same as you make and not go into debt.
I’m not necessarily looking to get the best deal, and I know that there are a lot of times when I could have gotten a better price on certain items. Even with my Christmas shopping, I have a specific amount of money allocated for each of my kids and, since I have the money budgeted and saved already for their gifts, I don’t necessarily need to search for a deal on their items. If I do happen to find a good deal on some items, then I can buy them more things; however, we feel that more certainly doesn’t mean better.
I just wanted to encourage you that you are ahead of most people if you are trying to budget or trying to live within your means. We all fail from time to time and we all make stupid purchases and spend too much sometimes.
Just keep trying to live within your means and still enjoy your life in the meantime!
Happy Christmas Shopping!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Christmas Budgeting Tips
According to the statistics out there, every Canadian consumer spends, on average around $800 at Christmas time. There’s nothing wrong with spending the money, if you have it, but there’s also nothing wrong with having a plan for your Christmas spending.
Here are some tips from my house to yours this holiday season...
1. Decide on a budget for your Christmas gifts. Write down how much you are going to spend on each person on your list and stick to that amount.
I am always surprised when I write it out (including teachers, coaches, stocking gifts, etc) and find out how much I actually spend on Christmas.
According to a MasterCard survey of 1,501 adults, nearly 60 per cent of Canadians are hitting the malls with no budget in mind, while 13 per cent of those who set limits on their spending admit they don't stick to them.
2. When you have decided how much you are going to spend on everyone, take out the cash (put it in envelopes if you want) so you are not tempted to over-spend.
3. Buy gifts online to save time and money. If you are Canadian and you find a really good deal in the states, you can have your item shipped to a PO Box in the States for $6 a package. Go on the website www.cbiusa.com and find one close to the border near where you live.
4. If you are mailing a lot of packages, save on postage by mailing gift cards instead. You can even send e-gift cards from a lot of stores such as walmart and toys rus that will be sent directly to your recipients email accounts. These cards can then be used for online purchases. You can also order gift cards online that will be shipped right to the recipient’s door.
5. Make your own wrapping paper this year. Get a big roll of brown paper and have your kids decorate it with stickers and drawings.
6. Get creative with gifts. Most people would be happy if they were given a thoughtful gift, rather than an expensive one.
7. If you have a lot of friends or family, do a gift exchange instead of buying for everyone.
8. Set a fixed limit on gifts with friends and family so that the gift giving doesn’t get out of hand.
Holiday Entertaining Budgeting Tips
According to one website, the average person spends $325 on holiday entertaining.
Here are some great tips from ivillage.com to decrease the amount of money you spend on entertaining.
1. Downsize. Stop making so many appetizers and desserts. Serve one type of punch and just serve a few crowd-pleasing snacks and desserts.
2. Potluck. Have everyone pitch in and bring something to the party.
3. Let your decorations do double-duty. There’s no need to buy fancy decorations. Put lemons, limes or clementines in a glass bowl for a festive centerpiece. You can use these lemons/limes as needed for cocktails and guests can eat the clementines.
Use leftover branches from a trimmed Christmas tree as decoration around the house.
4. Leftovers. Use your leftovers from the party the day after. Use broken tortilla chip in soups and chili the next day or make a Mexican casserole.
If you have extra cheese, make grilled cheese the next day. You get the idea…
After using some of these tips, you’ve saved some money. Now what?
How about we give more this Christmas.
IMAGINE… that you took a portion of what you saved at Christmas and stood up to consumerism by giving life to others.
Did you know… Canadians spend 35 Billion dollars on Christmas, yet it would only cost 13 Billion to help provide clean water for most of the world?
This isn’t to make you feel guilty, just to make you think about what you’re spending.If you want some suggestions for giving to charity this Christmas season, here they are:
1. Give to the charity you choose in the name of a person that is on your Christmas list.
2. Shop through the World Vision catalogue and buy something that someone really needs! www.worldvision.ca/gifts
3. If you want to give of your time, instead of your money, how about volunteering to sort food at your local community care/food bank. Here is the St. Catharines website:
http://www.90for90.ca/page/home
4. Think about volunteering to cook or serve a meal at a Shelter. In St. Catharines, here is the information for the Southridge Shelter: http://www.southridgechurch.ca/help/C55/
I hope some of these ideas are useful to you this holiday season
Here are some tips from my house to yours this holiday season...
1. Decide on a budget for your Christmas gifts. Write down how much you are going to spend on each person on your list and stick to that amount.
I am always surprised when I write it out (including teachers, coaches, stocking gifts, etc) and find out how much I actually spend on Christmas.
According to a MasterCard survey of 1,501 adults, nearly 60 per cent of Canadians are hitting the malls with no budget in mind, while 13 per cent of those who set limits on their spending admit they don't stick to them.
2. When you have decided how much you are going to spend on everyone, take out the cash (put it in envelopes if you want) so you are not tempted to over-spend.
3. Buy gifts online to save time and money. If you are Canadian and you find a really good deal in the states, you can have your item shipped to a PO Box in the States for $6 a package. Go on the website www.cbiusa.com and find one close to the border near where you live.
4. If you are mailing a lot of packages, save on postage by mailing gift cards instead. You can even send e-gift cards from a lot of stores such as walmart and toys rus that will be sent directly to your recipients email accounts. These cards can then be used for online purchases. You can also order gift cards online that will be shipped right to the recipient’s door.
5. Make your own wrapping paper this year. Get a big roll of brown paper and have your kids decorate it with stickers and drawings.
6. Get creative with gifts. Most people would be happy if they were given a thoughtful gift, rather than an expensive one.
7. If you have a lot of friends or family, do a gift exchange instead of buying for everyone.
8. Set a fixed limit on gifts with friends and family so that the gift giving doesn’t get out of hand.
Holiday Entertaining Budgeting Tips
According to one website, the average person spends $325 on holiday entertaining.
Here are some great tips from ivillage.com to decrease the amount of money you spend on entertaining.
1. Downsize. Stop making so many appetizers and desserts. Serve one type of punch and just serve a few crowd-pleasing snacks and desserts.
2. Potluck. Have everyone pitch in and bring something to the party.
3. Let your decorations do double-duty. There’s no need to buy fancy decorations. Put lemons, limes or clementines in a glass bowl for a festive centerpiece. You can use these lemons/limes as needed for cocktails and guests can eat the clementines.
Use leftover branches from a trimmed Christmas tree as decoration around the house.
4. Leftovers. Use your leftovers from the party the day after. Use broken tortilla chip in soups and chili the next day or make a Mexican casserole.
If you have extra cheese, make grilled cheese the next day. You get the idea…
After using some of these tips, you’ve saved some money. Now what?
How about we give more this Christmas.
IMAGINE… that you took a portion of what you saved at Christmas and stood up to consumerism by giving life to others.
Did you know… Canadians spend 35 Billion dollars on Christmas, yet it would only cost 13 Billion to help provide clean water for most of the world?
This isn’t to make you feel guilty, just to make you think about what you’re spending.If you want some suggestions for giving to charity this Christmas season, here they are:
1. Give to the charity you choose in the name of a person that is on your Christmas list.
2. Shop through the World Vision catalogue and buy something that someone really needs! www.worldvision.ca/gifts
3. If you want to give of your time, instead of your money, how about volunteering to sort food at your local community care/food bank. Here is the St. Catharines website:
http://www.90for90.ca/page/home
4. Think about volunteering to cook or serve a meal at a Shelter. In St. Catharines, here is the information for the Southridge Shelter: http://www.southridgechurch.ca/help/C55/
I hope some of these ideas are useful to you this holiday season
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