Five Holiday Budgeting Tips

It's happening earlier and earlier every year! What is it? The holiday shopping season. Retailers boast holiday sales months before the actual season begins. So, with that in mind, I decided to do a little research to provide you with some holiday shopping tips to help you win this season.

Stick to a Budget and Payback Plan Budgeting isn't a new tip, but when the excitement of the season is overwhelming, budgets sometimes go out the window. So, before clicking or swiping your card, create a budget and a solid plan to pay back your holiday debts.

Create a Buying Schedule ​Create a buying schedule to get the most out of your holiday shopping season. If you're an online shopper, buy early to avoid extra shipping costs. If you wait until the last minute, you could end up paying more than you would have if you had bought early.

Use Rewards Apps Rewards Apps like Honey, Rakuten, and BeFrugal can help you win the holidays when shopping online. If your credit card works with these apps, congratulations! You'll get even better discounts to help with your budget.

Go Deal Hunting A little hunting can pay off big time during the holiday season. When shopping for a specific item, hunt for deals. Look for impromptu deals. Take advantage of coupon code sites and "Daily Deal" sites. Also, don't forget about Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. They're often advertised weeks earlier so you can plan.

Use Credit Card Rewards Pay attention to and use different credit card rewards programs to your advantage. Many offer signing rewards with cash,  points, and miles for travel. Pay attention to rewards programs early and take advantage of a program that makes sense for you. However, watch out for retailers' special financing offers; those often come with a nice initial rate but can jump in the coming months if you don't pay it off immediately.

As we all get excited about the shopping season, planning will help you reduce the already hectic season so you can truly enjoy giving the perfect gifts this year. Learn more about these tips and others here. I hope they help.  If there's anything that I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask. Happy shopping!