Still, it’s easy for spending to go astray, especially during big shopping events.
Financial writer and podcasterMiranda Marquitlearned that the hard way.
During past holidays, she didn’t have a plan for her holiday spending.
Instead, she would make purchases when events orsalespopped up, which made the holidays even more financially stressful.
Here’s how she’s doing it while minimizing stress and keeping to her budget.
Look at last year’s holiday spending
Marquit always starts by reviewing the prior year’s holiday spending.
She looks at bank statements to estimate how much she spent.
Then, she sets a realisticbudgetand plan.
It can also help you strategize for the holiday season.
Start saving any amount
You don’t have to put aside a large amount of money toward yoursavings.
Every contribution adds up when factoring in the costs like gifts, food and wrapping.
Usually, she doesn’t exceed what’s in her fund.
This year, she’s using her holiday savings toward entertainment and gifts.
Consider alternative holiday gifting
Sticking to aholiday budgetwith your loved ones is tough, but Marquit makes it work.
In her case, not everyone gets a gift.
Her cousins do agift exchangewith a spending limit, but her friends don’t exchange gifts at all.
They have a holiday potluck.
For example, gifting babysitting or dog-walking coupons is a low-cost, thoughtful way to keep costs low.
Earn cash-back rewards
This year, Marquit is leaning oncredit card rewardsandcash-back appsto increase her holiday budget.
Throughout the year, she earns money fromSwagbucksby completing tasks like surveys or games.
Marquit says those rewards can add up toAmazon gift cards, which she uses to buy presents.
She also keeps an eye out for boosted offers throughout the year to redeem rewards at a higher rate.
She gets a desktop notification when the site she’s on offers rewards.
Sometimes, she’s able to stack rewards for even moreholiday savings.
She recommends choosing the program that offers the best redemption possible.
There are othershopping surfing app extensionsCNET recommends, including Honey, Offers and RetailMeNot.
But there are plenty of ways to celebrate the holidays differently within your budget.
“They just want to enjoy the company of loved ones.”
