Month: October 2018

With back to back Christmas parties, traveling, food, decor and gift shopping, the holidays surely bring you a long list of expenses. And without a holiday budget ready, you’ll be faced with a big amount of debt come January.

If you are one of the many Americans who sink into holiday debt year after year, it’s time to make a change and start saving up this October.

Here’s how to get started:

Create your holiday gift list.

One of the things that you can decide on as early as now, is the people whom you want to buy gifts for. When you have a holiday gift list ready, you can certainly save yourself from the stress of last-minute shopping and avoid going over your budget for holiday gifts. You will have plenty of time to find the perfect but budget-friendly gifts for the important people in your life.

Give up one or two of your little luxuries.

Giving up one of your luxuries would be a great help to boost your holiday savings, whether it’s your daily latte, hump-day Margaritas or Friday night pizza.

Collect coupons from your favorite stores.

Check online and on magazines for coupons and subscribe to your favorite stores’ newsletters to get exclusive deals because these discounts and freebies may come handy when shopping time comes.

Cash in rewards.

Start checking the balances of your credit card reward points or other loyalty cards to redeem the points for gift cards or merchandise that you can use for buying gifts and other things that you will need for the coming holiday.

Start making homemade gifts and DIY decors.

DIY projects take time so now is the perfect time to get your creative mind and hands working.  You don’t have to spend thousands on new holiday décor when you can just make your own.  As for gifts, personalized gifts are not just inexpensive but very special as well.  With a dash of creativity and some inspiration, you don’t need to spend a fortune on gifts and décor.

Consider purchasing some of the gifts now.

Last minute shopping isn’t really a smart decision if you are on a tight budget.  If you spot a great deal, it’s okay to buy it now or just wait till Black Friday to take advantage of lots of deals and savings.

Find ways to earn extra money.

Whether it’s getting a part time job or selling preloved items, an extra source of income is a very helpful way to increase your holiday savings .

Don’t worry, we’re still a few months before Christmas… you still have plenty of time to beef up your holiday savings with these ideas.

Remember, it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit, especially when it comes to your budget.

 

We are only a short time away from the holiday season, which means that you need to prepare yourself for some back-to-back spending.

Fortunately, in the season between summer and winter is the time of the year when we can find numerous ways to save more money.

Fall is such a beautiful time of the year and today, I will share with you how you can take advantage of this season to spend less and save more.

Put your gym membership on hold.

Okay, so the last few months of the year will surely be busy, which means that there is a big possibility for you to not be able to go to the gym as often as you can.  That being said, it’s just practical to consider pausing your gym membership.  But that doesn’t mean you also put your fitness routing on hold.  Take advantage of the cooler weather to do your workouts outdoors.  From running, to cycling to hiking on the weekends, the options are endless when it comes to looking for physical activities during the Autumn time.

Use fall produce for your home-cooked meals.

Take advantage of the season’s harvest to make more home-cooked meals using in season produce that will save you loads of money – such as squash, apples, and various types of root crops.

Ditch the heat and air conditioning.

You won’t need air conditioning or heating when the weather is just right, so take advantage of this time to save on energy costs.  Also, use this time to check on your heating and cooling system.  It’s better to have them repaired now than to wait until there’s a problem, which can cost you thousands more.

Time to declutter (and make money out of it).

Spring gets all the credit as the season for cleaning but hey, fall cleaning is a must too!  Get your end of season clean-up game on and declutter your home.  Get rid of the items you don’t use anymore and sell what you can.  Also, it’s a wonderful way to find old Fall clothing pieces and décor that you can reuse instead of spending money on new décor and wardrobe.

Find cheap entertainment.

Autumn is an amazing time to be outdoors.  Instead of shelling out money on other leisure activities, just look for cheap and sometimes free fun activities to do with your friends, family or significant other – like driving around to see the beautiful fall foliage, hiking, apple picking, camping, etc.  Fall is definitely THE time for frugal fun.

Take advantage of Fall sales.

During this time of the year, there will be a lot of sale events coming up that you can take advantage if you want to save money on holiday gifts or other important big purchases.  Just make sure that you will be purchasing what you really need and not just buying them just because they’re on sale.

Find a side hustle.

Lastly, beef up your savings by earning money on the side.  There are lots of money making ideas during the Fall season so take advantage of that.  Check out seasonalemployment.com for some fall job opportunities.

Make sure to keep these ideas on mind so when the holidays come around, you’ll feel more comfortable and financially ready to take on a new season.

 

We’ve all been there before – making unnecessary purchases that we know are out of our budget.

Going over budget from to time is quite inevitable but for some people, this happens every. single. month, which brings their finances into a downward spiral.

Overspending is a serious problem.  If you find yourself in this situation, it’s time to make a conscious decision to change these bad spending habits before they destroy your life.

Here are 7 ways to help you get through it:

Set goals and write them down.

Having financial goals will motivate and encourage you to stick to your budget and avoid unnecessary spending.  Aside from this, it’s also very helpful to set mini goals for your spending. For example, “not buying new clothes till you’ve worn your other ones” or “only have dinner out once a month instead of once a week.”   Just start small and make them realistic and specific.

Have a budget and stick to it.

Speaking of budget, do you even have one?  If not, then you should start creating one because having a budget is an important tool to prevent you from spending more than you are earning.  A budget will give you a clear picture of how much money comes in – that way, you’ll be able to see your spending limits.  Just to warn you, creating a budget is easy, but sticking to it is hard.  At the end of the day, it still boils down to discipline and self-control.

Know your triggers.

Retail therapy – the practice of shopping in order to make oneself feel more cheerful.  Yup, we’re all familiar of that. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. By identifying your triggers, such as making unnecessary purchases when feeling sad or overspending on food when stressed out, you get to take control over your emotions and manage your feelings the right way.

Just carry cash at all times.

Credit and debit cards take the pain out of “paying.”  It’s the culprit for spending impulsively.  So just drop them and pay cash for your purchases.  This way, you’ll see money leaving from your hands (which I hope will discourage your from making a purchase).

Mute the notifications.

Knowing about the latest offers, bargains and sales from your email subscriptions and social media accounts will surely tempt you to make purchases you don’t even need. To avoid that, turn off the notifications and unsubscribe/ unfollow accounts of retailers and deal sites.

Think before you buy.

No matter how big or small, making random purchases without thinking it through is a toxic habit to your finances.  Here’s one tip – before making any purchase, ask yourself these 4 Questions.

Budget for a little fun.

As much as you want to help yourself stop overspending, know that depriving yourself can do more harm than good.  Yes, getting over self-deprivation ends up being more expensive!  So give yourself some money to enjoy yourself in order keep a positive relationship with your finances.

I hope this article has encouraged you to take the initial steps towards improvement.  I know that you can’t transform your habits overnight but what’s important is that you are committed to make a change and gain control over your finances.