Holiday shopping seems to bring out two types of people; those that have been preparing for months and have already completed most of their shopping by mid-November, and those, like me, who procrastinate and are starting to realize that holidays are right around the corner and they haven’t even started shopping yet.
With only four weekends of holiday shopping left, staying within my budget is my biggest concern and my biggest stressor. Between holiday parties, shopping and trying to find time to decorate, the holidays can be stressful; why add to the list by worrying about your budget? It is easy to go over budget if you haven’t planned ahead, so take an afternoon and make a list of who you need to shop for and what you want to get them. One way I've tried to stay in budget is to set a dollar amount for each person, then shop for one person at a time and only bring the amount that I plan on spending. This can save you from buying too much and going over budget.
Another way to stay within budget is to give homemade gifts. These small thoughtful gifts often mean more to the recipient than a store bought gift. One year, I made everyone a blanket and a scarf and every year my friends still use them, which make it well worth the $20 I spent on fabric and yarn.
Jess H., Maine Credit Union League
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