Okay guys, for those of you that know me, you know that the holidays are my favourite time of year! Being surrounded by my family, friends, and dogs is when I’m the happiest! But, after all of the gifts, decorations, and dinner parties you attend, the bill that comes in January definitely can bring an end to the holiday cheer. Here are some of my personal tips on how to be financially smart during the holidays:
- Custom gifts — customizing anything is always a great gift idea that turns an ordinary item into an amazingly thoughtful one. There are a lot of local artists that specialize in calligraphy/lettering that can make basically any item into a very special and personal gift. I just got custom tree ornaments from @writtenbylisa and I can’t wait to gift them to my family and friends.
- Hosting dinner parties — hosting your own dinner party can be a lot more economic than going out to dinner at a restaurant. Consider hosting a pot luck, so each guest can bring a dish for the party – this can be a fun activity for people, your guests get to try a little bit of something from everyone and your cost for the party dropped substantially.
- Be conscious! — a huge part of budgeting is mental. Be conscious of what you’re spending your money on ALWAYS – but especially during the holidays. Before you buy anything, think about it and ask yourself, “Is this something that I really need, is this special, is there something else I could get, etc.”
So, don’t let budgeting stop you from enjoying the holidays, but remember to stay conscious and keep it in mind, because spending those few extra dollars for this one time of the year isn’t worth damaging your financial health.
