Posted on by Chad F.

The holiday season is here with us and for many people, this usually means spending lots of cash. There are many reasons why people overspend; we are expected to give our loved ones gifts, take a break and go on holiday in an exotic location or just simply treat our loved ones to a fancy dinner. All these things are expenditures that are outside our norm and often lead to us spending more than we had anticipated. The consequence of this is that we end up with more debt and an uphill struggle to pay bills in the months following the holiday season. However it doesn’t have to be so. There are things that you can do to ensure that you don’t overspend during this holiday season.

Plan Wisely and Budget

When controlling expenditure, the importance of budgeting cannot be overstated. Planning what you want to buy and establishing a budget early on does two critical things. One is that it helps you to know exactly what you want to buy and thus avoid impulse buying. It also gives you time to shop around and compare prices meaning that you are likely to get the best possible prices. Secondly, budgeting helps you set a limit on how much you want to spend. An additional benefit to planning and budgeting is that you might be able to buy gifts in advance before the holiday season thus saving on the premium that retailers normally charge during the holiday season.

Beware of Retail Gimmicks

Retailers have a single purpose in mind: To get you to spend.  To this end, they use all manner of tricks and lures to get you to part with your cash. Being aware of these tricks helps you to make better buying decisions and ultimately save money. For example, beware of discount offers, as many retail outlets discount some items and recover the shortfall by marking up other items so that you end up spending the same or even more than before the discount. Other retail tricks extend even to the way they place items on the shelves. Pricier items are usually placed at eye level where people are likely to just reach out and take. Always look around for similar items placed on other parts of the shelves and compare the prices.

Minimize Extra Costs

Because the holiday season is a relaxed period, we typically step out of our normal routines and adopt new ones. For example, while during the year we might have no problem walking down the street for pizza, we might want to have it delivered during the holiday season as we want to spend time with our families. Although minimal, these costs add up and eventually, we find ourselves with a dent in our finances that we can’t explain. During the holiday season, try as much as possible not to disrupt your regular money-saving habits.

Save Money During Trips

In addition to planning and budgeting for trips as early as possible to get good rates, look for ways to save money while on those trips. If you are on the road for example, pack a picnic hamper with food and water instead of stopping for meals at road-side restaurants that typically tend to be very expensive.

In a nutshell, saving money this holiday is about planning ahead and being aware of your spending patterns. If you follow these tips, you will find yourself with enough money left to pay your bills and perhaps to even send home to family and friends. If you want to send money, use Sharemoney for fast and secure money transfer. Simply open a free and secure account and link it to your bank account, debit or credit card. That’s it. Once we verify your account information, you are ready to send money to your loved one in anyone of the countries that we work in. it is that simple. Why don’t you try Sharemoney today?

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