Search Results for: blog paying for next christmas

Paying for End-of-the-Year Travel

How has the current economy affected your holiday travel plans? According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the 2012 Christmas travel season could be the busiest in six years.  However, thanks to an unstable financial future most Americans won’t be taking to the skies to get to grandma’s house this year; rather, they will be hitting the road.  AAA is predicting that 93.3 million Americans will hit the nation’s highways during the holidays. That’s 1.6 percent more than last year and just 400,000 people shy of the 2006 record, according to the auto club.  AAA says a record 84.4 million … Continue reading →

Christmas Free-dom

Cheap is good, but free is better. If you are one of the millions of Americans suffering during these tough economic times, Christmas can seem more like a curse than a gift, especially if you don’t have enough money to buy presents for all of your family members and friends. As we enter the last few hours leading up to the big day, don’t allow yourself to be sucked into the abyss of commercialism that overshadows the true meaning of Christmas. Who says holiday presents have to be shiny and expensive? Often, the most treasured gifts are the ones that … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Cheap Christmas

Who says “cheap” is a bad thing? Just because you are trying to avoid a holiday debt hangover doesn’t mean you have to look like Ebenezer Scrooge in the process. There are a myriad of ways you can make merry this Christmas season without breaking the bank. Some frugal ideas include: Hooray for Homemade: Use your vast array of talents to make gifts to give this holiday season rather than draining your wallet at the mall. Whether you knit, bake, paint, sew, or you’re a whiz at woodworking, there are plenty of presents you can make that are creative, thoughtful, … Continue reading →

Paying for (next) Christmas

Yes, this could be the blog of great depression. After all, it’s only just past Boxing Day and I’m talking about what? Paying for Christmas? Christmas 2011? Well, yes. And you can close your eyes and plug your ears now if you wish. I won’t tell. However, as Tristi mentioned in her recent blog, paying for Christmas with cash just feels good. It does not feel good to wake up on December 26th with a load of squeaking toys and a big, big balance on the credit card. How can you avoid that morning after the day before budget? Reduce … Continue reading →

Paying for Christmas

I have four small children. Well, they actually aren’t that small anymore – they’re getting bigger all the time – and while they understand the need to budget, their basic desires are getting more expensive. A Lego set does cost more than a stuffed animal, that’s for sure. I think it’s safe to say that we all want our children to have a wonderful Christmas, but how do you pay for it? I’ll confess that in years past, I’ve put Christmas on a credit card. There just hasn’t been enough cash flow in our home to accommodate even the most … Continue reading →

Christmas Club

Remember Christmas Club accounts? The Clubs were popular during the Great Depression. The point of the account was to deposit money regularly throughout the year and then withdraw the funds before Christmas. The account earned interest and was probably set up like a CD. It was a great tool to take some of the stress out of Christmas shopping. It’s so much better to prepare for the event than to go into debt with spending. The end of November is the wrong time to start a Christmas Club for this Christmas, so what can you do to minimize the damage … Continue reading →

Giving in for Christmas

My 6-year-old doesn’t receive an allowance. However, she does earn stickers on an incentive chart, which can be traded in for small toys, books or other trinkets depending on the tasks completed. Expensive items are obtained on holidays and birthdays only. Still, Santa and the Easter Bunny work on a budget, so when my daughter’s holiday wish lists include a dozen items that retail for 50 bucks apiece, then Mr. and Mrs. Claus have to do some serious number crunching and/or prepare the kid, who wants it all, for serious disappointment. Currently, I am prepping for the latter since there … Continue reading →

Balancing Christmas Spending and Giving

Christmas shopping is well under way. Black Friday has come and gone. It is interesting that the day that most stores finally make a profit is the day that many consumers begin to increase their debt through holiday spending. People crowd the stores intent on finding the deal that will allow them to purchase items they otherwise couldn’t afford. There is a pressure to spend money during the holiday season that doesn’t exist through the rest of the year. It is nice to be able to give to others and to provide your children with a nice Christmas. It is … Continue reading →

Snag a Post-Thanksgiving Travel Deal

They aren’t exactly the Black Friday deals being offered at the mall, but you can still save big on travel packages by booking by the end of the month. Take a break from the chaos surrounding the holiday season by jetting off to Sin City this December. Pleasant Holidays is offering a money-saving package deal featuring round-trip airfare from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Spirit Airlines, a four-night stay in a deluxe room at the Wynn Las Vegas, plus a $100 resort credit all for just $369. The price doesn’t include a $20 per room, per night resort fee. … Continue reading →

Sticking To Your Holiday Budget

As we head down the final stretch to Christmas Day, stores are pulling out all the stops to lure in last-minute shoppers with sensational seasonal sales. If you have gotten this far sticking to your holiday budget, don’t be tempted by these late season offers. Often, they don’t save you as much money as you’d think. Procrastinators on a budget should stray from big-box retailers during the final days leading up to Christmas. To preserve your budget, head over to the local Dollar Store for economical gift ideas. For example, if you are looking for a last-minute present for your … Continue reading →