How to save money while you travel during holidays
Holidays are approaching and you end up spending a lot over the Holidays isn’t? Well, don’t worry smart spending and saving will not put a lot of burden on your pocket this season. You can simply follow the tips given in this article to save money over the holidays while enjoying the holidays to the fullest.
If you are planning a party or visiting a mall it is always better to plan it well so that you know how much money you will be spending during the holiday season. You can manage your spending well if you follow the tips given below
- Set a budget
You can set the budget in two different ways one that is quite strict and other bit lenient where you do not worry about small little things. Most of the people ignore the importance of setting up a budget when they are traveling. If you be ignorant like that, there is a high possibility for you to get distracted with your expenses. Hence, you will have a difficult time in saving money. That’s why it is important for you to set a budget and stick to it at all times. The budget you define will be able to deliver all the support and assistance that you need with keeping you away from distractions.
- A Strict budget
Setting up a very strict budget can be an unrealistic one and it can create a mess than setting up things. You may land up in trouble while setting a budget for gifts for your friends, mom, relatives etc. With a strict budget it can be frustrating. So do not set a very strict budget.
- Not too strict budget
If you are setting a budget wherein you aren’t bothered about the gifts that do not forget that you have others costs to bear during holiday season. Gifts are not the only expenses that you have to bear but other than that you have to take care of travel expenses, parties, themed activities that would ruin your budget. In case you can add some more money to bear the costs of additional expenses to your budget, it will be great.
- Keep a check on your spending
You may have set an appropriate budget, no doubt, but you need to keep a check on your spending else your budget won’t help you. You can use apps or spreadsheets to keep a check on what and how much you spend on. You should be aware of whether everything is going according to your budget.
You are not spending all the money that you have at once. You regularly keep on spending your money. This is why it is important for you to keep track on the spending. Then you can go through the expenditures at any given time and determine whether you have been spending too much of money during the travel or not. Based on that, you will be able to end up with saving more money.
- Avoid spending on extras
Make sure spending on extras like spending on buying a pair of shoes, spending on clicking a picture with Santa etc. Do not get carried away with the extras. If you avoid spending on such extra activities you will be able to spend as planned within a budget. It is true that you are going on the vacation travel to spend your money and purchase what you want. However, you should still be in a position to understand what the extra payments are. Then you can easily refrain from spending money on those extra expenses.
- Cheaper traditions can be a better choice
Traditions accompany holidays and they make it even more special. On the other hand the traditions can be quite expensive. If the traditions you follow are holiday travel, buying surprising valuable gifts for your children, spending on special attraction etc. then you may run out of your budget.
Traditions are important but it is not necessary for them to be expensive. Go for cheap stuff rather than spending a lot on highly priced stuff.
- Stop to shop at the right time
You should know where to stop while shopping. You can check the list and once you check it twice you know it is the right time to end shopping. Do not get tempted to check what is in store even after you have finished shopping. If you don’t have a clear understanding on when to stop, you will keep on spending. This will make you end up with losing all the money you have.
- Buy gifts that people actually need
Do not just buy gifts to show you are giving out gifts. Make sure you give out gifts that people like and need. You can ask their close friends or spouses about their likes and dislikes before you buy a gift for them.
- Start saving for the holidays now
The best thing is to save for the holidays much before the holidays so that you have savings for holidays and don’t have to shell out money from your regular savings. You are never too early or never too late to save for your holidays. Just make sure that you start saving now and experience the benefits that come along with it. Then you can save enough money for the holidays.
Make sure you do not try to self gift and pamper yourself with expensive gifts just because it is a holiday season. If you want to save money it is better to use cash for shopping. It will help you avoid impulse buying and will help you keep a check on how much you are spending. In cases of credit cards you won’t bother to check it instantly.
You can make ornaments on your own. Some DIY tricks really work and you can show your friends your creativity and love for them.
