With all of the wonderful deals that have been available over the past few days, I have found myself getting fixated on "getting the deal". While scoring great deals on gifts I need for Christmas is important, I have to take a step back for a moment and prioritize. On black friday, I almost purchased a flipvideo camera because it was a great deal. I never once desired to have this product and I didn't have anyone on my Christmas list who needed this product. So why did I almost buy it? It was a great deal! Not a good answer. Let's take a step back for a moment and prioritize so that we do not get out of hand over the holiday season. Budget for Gifts-Hopefully, by now you have created a holiday budget for yourself. If not determine how much you have to spend on each person on your list. Without a budget we often spend more than what we can actually afford. This is the first step.
Don't use credit-I know that times are rough this year, but try to avoid using credit cards over the holiday season. You do not want to be stuck paying for Christmas presents in February and March. If your budget is tight this year try making a homemade present. Or ask your family if you could do a secret santa gift exchange instead of purchasing a present for everyone in your family. Or simply scale down, if you normally spend 30.00 on a present for your brother reduce your price to 20.00 or whatever you are comfortable with. Don't go broke trying to afford Christmas, the important thing is spending time with the ones you love.
It's o.k. to miss a deal-I get so excited about shopping that I often forget what I am trying to do which is save money. Have an honest moment with yourself and make sure the deals you are snagging our actually things you need to get for Christmas.
Have a great holiday season and have fun saving money and finding awesome deals!
