Mary Crocker
How to budget for a holiday? It’s a concern that a lot of people face when they’re planning a family vacation or even just a fun-filled weekend. Many people want to make sure that they get everything they need for the holiday season without straining their wallet.
The truth is that it’s not always easy to know exactly where to begin. So here s a simple step by step strategy to make a truly memorable holiday budget which you will undoubtedly stick to.
Step One: Holiday Budget – what s important? Before you can jump into make holiday budget, you need to be clear about what s important to us in terms of holiday budgeting. What activities do we intend to do, where are we going to travel, and how much time (and money) are we planning to spend on these?
Once you have answers to these questions, then you’re ready to begin. Some of the most common errors people make regarding holiday budgeting is:
We start out with a set spending limit on our bank account. However, once the holidays roll around and we see that we have overdrawn our bank account, we backtrack and try to come up with more money.
However, as the holiday season approaches, we’re already behind the spending limit and our expenses begin to rise. If you want to avoid this type of confusion and make your holiday savings work for you, set a spending limit on your bank account and stick to it!
How to Budget for a Holiday Once you know how much you have to spend, it’s time to begin tracking your spending. Begin with only a basic budget that will cover the basics such as gifts and decorations. As you begin to see where you are spending too much money, write down those areas on a sheet of paper.
Then, add up all of your extra expenditures, noting any parties you attended and the costs associated with each of them. Keep track of the types of gifts you received, as well as whether they came in packs, single pieces, or whether the items were packaged in a decorative tin.
Once you have your holiday budget recorded, it’s time to implement it! That means creating a household budget and sticking to it. Most households will go on vacation sometime during the year, so it won’t be long before everyone realizes they have overspent beyond their budgeted amount.
It is also important to think about how you will pay for everything when you get there. If you aren’t sure what this means, then start with simple household budgeting until you get a feel for it.
Now that you know how much money you have to spend on a holiday like a visit to America for an instance, you need to figure out where that money will go. Add up all of your holiday expenses, both annual and monthly, and see if they fit into your household budget. If they do, you may want to trim some of those expenses to save money.
You should also consider the things that only contribute to your holiday budget such as dining out at restaurants, shopping trips, and amusement park tickets. Look for expenses that may not be as common, but that you could cut back on to save money.
When you know where your spending is going, make sure to make a list of anything that is not needed or usable in your household. That way, you can buy just the things you really need. You should also look for coupons that will help you save money on the items you buy. If your budget allows it, take along your bankbook or checkbook to the store to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Remember, it’s important to spend your money wisely during the holidays. Look for ways to cut back on entertainment and eat out so that you don’t spend as much as you would if you simply splurge on the things you love. Also, it’s important to remember that it’s not about Santa taking all of your money.
He will probably just bring home enough for you to heat with the heater and maybe eat some of the leftovers. In the end, though, you’ll be glad that your children got to enjoy all of those fun holiday activities without worrying about wasting all of your hard-earned dollars on unnecessary holiday activities.
