Tuesday, December 3, 2013

I'm Supposed To Be SAVING???!!!


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Yes, that's how the holidays feel for me. The official list for those to whom we are giving gifts this year keeps on getting longer and longer. It seems every day there is someone else we completely forgot about. Thank goodness I'm working all these extra hours or I wouldn't be able to afford all these small trinkets!

The bf and I are trying to act as a unit, however, with opposite schedules, it's coming out to be one person does the shopping for a few people and then we regroup at night and decide on the next batch for the next day. We are definitely trying to come up with practical gifts that everyone will use and not just throw away two days later.

So, with all that in mind, how is anyone supposed to save and while shopping for those they love (or kind of like) these next few weeks? We've been trying to keep to a few simple rules which include:

1. Finding all the coupons!!! We are literally combing over all the newspapers and spend nights on the internet for any coupon or deal that will fit

2. Sticking to a budget for each person. We kind of know what each person is getting and what that should amount to. If we go over by a small amount, that's fine, but too much means we will likely have to rethink their gift.

3. Practicality. As stated above, we don't want to hear that the gifts ended up in the trash two days later. So we are trying to find brands that are well-known and reliable, which usually stores post good deals on.

4. Waiting. As Christmas gets closer, the deals will be even better, so that does mean leaving some of the bigger items til the last minute. This can either go really well or really poorly. Let's hope for the former!

5. Splitting gift costs with someone else. Because we are a couple it is more appropriate, but you can always do this with a relative or friend and pooling your money together can help get the person the gift they would really enjoy!

It's definitely a tough battle, but I know that we will pull through, as always. And even though the savings rate for this month might drop a bit, it won't be from lack of trying!

What are some of your strategies for trying to cut down on holiday gift giving expenses and keep your savings rate as normal?

2 comments:

  1. We have had to pare down this year. Our list was so long, but we have saved a little each month through the year and we are determined to stick to our budget. We did decide that some people are just getting Christmas cards with a nice written note. And we are trying to use coupons, and deals to get the most bang for our bucks.

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  2. That's actually a really good idea, just doing Christmas cards for people who giving a gift to might be a bit too much. Might just have to implement it!

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