If there is any time of the year when people tend to bleed through money it’s the holiday season. Fortunately, you don’t have to seek out an emergency transfusion if you play your cards right.
When preparing your household budget for the holidays remember to be creative. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to lavish your loved ones with unique gifts. If you plan ahead and eliminate the temptation to purchase a slew of last minute gifts, you can save plenty of green. Procrastinating around the holidays typically comes with a hefty price tag, as retailers know that shoppers are willing to pay extra to avoid looking like Scrooge on Christmas morning.
Another advantage of purchasing holiday gifts well in advance of the post-Black Friday rush is that you can buy in bulk for reasonable prices. For example, a box of coordinating picture frames or a crate of scented candles can be bought at pre-holiday sales, and then separated to make several smaller gifts for a slew of loved ones. Retailers such as Bath and Body Works also offer a litany of coupon codes and special promotions to entice early bird shoppers to stock up on merchandise before the peak holiday shopping season begins.
Timing is also an important factor when buying supplies to decorate your home for the holidays. Here too you can flex your creative muscle in order to save cold hard cash. Think of ways you can recycle items you already have in order to create a festive environment. For example, instead of buying an expensive centerpiece for your dining room table, consider adding a base of pine cones from your yard or extra Christmas tree ornaments around a group of plain white candles. Another cheap and easy way to give your home a celebratory feel is to tie leftover ribbons around throw pillows to make them look like Christmas gifts.