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The summer has only just drawn to a close, but those who are smart with their money will already be thinking ahead to later in the year. Christmas is an incredibly difficult time of year financially. Without the right planning, what should be fun and festive holiday spirit can be a time of significant stress. Presents, cards, travel costs, decorations, food- it can quickly mount up. For that reason, it makes sense not to leave it all until the last minute and spread the cost, if you start now you are much less likely to end up in a pickle financially. Here are some of the steps you can take now, before even Halloween!
Rework Your Finances
Before you start spending or saving money, it’s a good idea to have a close look at your finances and make sure everything is in order. Do you have a budget in place? If not, set something up using a budgeting app and make sure you are not overspending. Are you getting the best deals on your utilities and other bills? Spend a spare afternoon ringing around or using comparison sites to make sure. Are you spending a lot of money on interest for debts each month? How about using a site like banking.loans to take out a loan and consolidate everything. That way you only pay one lot of interest instead of many, you can close the other accounts and only need to worry about paying back the one. Far simpler and can say you money.
Save a Little Each Week
Because you’ve started planning early, this means you can save a little each week and have a nice lump sum when it comes to December. You could open a savings account through your online banking, making it really easy to transfer a portion of your wages over each week. You could start a savings jar, and throw in any change and coins you have in your pockets at the end of the day. You won’t even miss it but come Christmas it’s an extra bit of money you have to put towards something worthwhile. It will take the pressure off your budget come December.
Pick Up Things On Sale
Another thing you can do to make your shopping easier come December is to start now. Pick up nonperishable and long life items now, especially if you can get them on sale or for a good deal. Your best bet is to write a full list and tick things off as you purchase them, that way you don’t forget and end up buying again closer to the time. It could be things like gift wrap, cards, and stamps, gifts, chocolate, and sweets- whatever you’re going to need at some point over Christmas. Getting organized now can save a whole lot of hassle later down the line, come December you will be thanking yourself!
Have you started thinking about Christmas yet, and preparing financially for the holiday season?
