Managing Your Money with Holiday Purchases

We’re mere weeks away from the holidays and the busiest shopping season has begun! While its fun to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of buying gifts for family and friends, don’t lose sight of your monetary goals and budget plans! We’re here to offer some tips that will help you keep the holidays from robbing your bank accounts!

 

Cashback
If you’ve been making frequent purchases on SHOP.COM, chances are you’ve accumulated a good deal of Cashback! Congratulations! What are your plans for spending it? Apply the Cashback you’ve been storing for holiday gifts! Perhaps you have just enough to buy stocking stuffers for your family from the SHOP.COM Dollar Store. If you’ve been storing it for a while, use it toward a larger purchase! Every little bit helps!

Hot Deals
In our opinion, shopping Hot Deals is the way to go! Many retailers offer exclusive savings during the holiday season. Take advantage of them! The best way to keep up with coupons and other hot deals is to check the Hot Deals page on SHOP.COM or download ShopBuddy! As an added bonus, download ShopBuddy this month and enter to win a $100 SHOP.COM Gift Card!

Money Management
Before you jump into holiday shopping, it is important to have your finances in order. Do you know how much money you can feasibly spend this holiday season? ma Capital Resources is a great place to turn to help you manage income, debt, mortgages, and more! With a clear understanding of your finances, you’ll be better equipped to approach the holidays.

MyLists
Once you’ve found gifts that you want to purchase, organize them using the SHOP.COM MyLists tool! This is a great visual reference you can check to see who you still need to shop for and who’s covered. Though it’s nice in theory, there’s no need to accidently double up on gifts for someone. Using MyLists can save you the headache of organizing your gift lists!

Cushion
Let’s face it, we’re going to forget about something. Obligatory gift for your great aunt? Food for an office holiday party? Prepare for unforeseen expenses by allowing yourself a cushion. Work on a holiday shopping budget that allows for some wiggle room. Keep an additional 10-15% of your holiday budget set aside for unforeseen expenses. If you don’t have to use it- great! You’ll be starting the new year off on a good foot!

What strategies have you found to help with holiday budgeting? It’s the most wonderful time of the year and expenses don’t have to be a burden. Happy holiday shopping season to you!