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Don’t worry that it’s already December. I have 6 tips to help you save big on your budget this Christmas and holiday season.
![2023-12 Sami Talk of the Town Holiday Budget table](https://www.samicone.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-12-Sami-Talk-of-the-Town-Holiday-Budget-table.jpeg)
Save Big on Your Holiday Budget
If you missed me on Talk of the Town this morning, I shared tips on how you can still save on your Christmas budget. Here are the highlights:
- Figure & Track: Figure out 10% of your net monthly pay – don’t spend more than that on your gift budget. Track what is wanted vs. what is bought on a spreadsheet.
- Assess what you’ve already bought: Gather gifts and stocking stuffers in individual boxes/bags for each person. Take back what isn’t necessary
- Adjust: Look at what’s left: Can you get a better price on it? Get a price adjustment from the original store or buy it cheaper somewhere else and return the original. Take advantage of price match and extended holiday return windows.
- Budget Borrow: If you’ve overshot your gift budget, borrow from other line items: take friends out to dinner using your food budget or take them to a show or on a Christmas light tour with funds from your entertainment budget. Many restaurants are offering 10-20% off of gift cards right now. Buy them yourself and then take friends and family out with those gift cards.
- Work: Get a part-time job at your favorite retailer and use your earnings plus your discount to buy gifts.
- Wrapping: Don’t spend more on wrapping your gift than the gift itself! Check out places like Michaels and Dollar Tree for budget gift wrap and cards.