How do you control your spending during the holidays? For that matter, how do you control your spouse’s spending?
The holidays are a minefield of budget shattering possibilities for many of us. With my big family, it is easy to overspend. I mean, I will get someone something and then I’ll see something else I know they’ll like.
Now they have more than the others so I will have to balance it out somehow – and that’s when the debt snowball starts to roll.
In the past, I have controlled my spending by buying items early, paying cash I had saved up, and stopping when the money was gone. For a variety of reasons that doesn’t work at all for me anymore.
Now days I tend to be very unorganized and that is a deathblow to anyone’s budget, isn’t it?
Some of the techniques for controlling holiday spending that I have either used or heard about are:
- Shopping from a list is always good, at least as long as you stick to the list.
- Spreading out your shopping throughout the year can allow you to take advantage of sales and specials. This only works if you are good about keeping secrets and can refrain from giving people their gifts ahead of time.
- Pay with cash only. When it’s gone it’s gone and you have to stop.
- Make yourself accountable to someone else – your best friend, your spouse, or someone else you trust.
What are some ways that you have used to control your spending?
photo credit: The Consumerist via photopin cc
