Five Essential Christmas Budget Planning Tips To Plan Your Holiday Spending

FIVE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS BUDGET PLANNING TIPS TO PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY SPENDING
FIVE ESSENTIAL CHRISTMAS BUDGET PLANNING TIPS TO PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY SPENDING

None of us wants to casually spend the entire family budget on holiday expenses, but there are always so many of them! A well-planned distribution of your finances is a key to hosting a successful holiday party without creating a hole in the family savings. There are so many things to buy before a holiday – there is no way to keep all that in mind without forgetting half of what's planned or ending up with a nervous breakdown.

Our budget planners will save you the trouble – all the information is logically divided into various groups, so there's no risk of spending the money prepared for presents on groceries or party supplies.

Here's a step-by-step to navigating your budget-planning process.

Step One

Take a look at your finances and decide how much money you are planning to spend on all of the holiday purchases. Consider any possible unforeseen expenses – anything can happen and it is better to be prepared just in case.

Step Two

Set a money limit for all possible areas of Christmas spending. Divide the total sum that you got in the first step between the chosen key points of your spendings plan.

Step Three

Keep a close watch on what you are spending on holiday preparation. Track the amount of money you spend and how this number correlates with the finances you still have.

Step Four

Keep your budget flexible. If you happen to overspend just look at the other areas left to cover and see where and how you can rearrange and reduce the budget to get the numbers straight.

 

gift-shopping-xmasChristmas Budget Planning Tips

1. Analyze and Plan

Write down and analyze all possible Christmas-related expenses. Compare the sum you are most likely going to spend and the money you have actually prepared for the event. 

It's the perfect time to think about possible ways of rearranging the budget if the expenses overweigh the money you planned on spending.

2. Set Aside Money For Present Shopping

Don’t forget about the presents - gift shopping one of the key points of any Christmas budget. Consider checking out your family members' or friends' wish lists before getting them gifts – it's also a good idea to make your own list so that everyone knows exactly what to give you.

Try to predict the amounts of money you are going to spend on the presents for your family members, colleagues and friends. Having it all planned out and written down is great for figuring out how much money should be put toward towards gift-shopping.

Compare your approximations to the number you got in the main budget planner – if it is about the same, you are nailing it!

3. Shop Online

The 21st century has taught us one thing: it is usually cheaper to buy things online than to get them in stores. Consider comparing the prices of online and offline retailers, tracking item availability and possible sales and discounts. Once you've got it all figured out, track down the stages of getting the present so that none of them slips away.

4. Schedule In Advance

Every celebration begins with an invitation. Don’t forget to plan out your postcards and invites and send them on time. Consider sending the cards a couple of weeks before your party and use a planner to track your progress.

5. Plan the Meals

Overspending on groceries is especially tempting during Christmas prep.

Plan the menu beforehand and stick to the list while getting your supplies – a supermarket may be dangerous for your budget, but with enough preparation and a cool head you can successfully get ready for a party without spending more than you can afford.