budget

Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday. There is so much to love– the decorations, light displays, celebrations, music, movies and more. And I love the process of thinking about my loved ones, deciding what to get them and looking for great deals.

However with so many gifts to buy– everyone from family to friends to mail carriers to teachers– the expenses can add up quickly. I try to land somewhere in the middle of Santa Claus and Scrooge, so I can still appreciate those I care about without hurting my family’s finances.

If that’s you too, here are some ideas for ways you can save on Christmas without turning into Scrooge.

1. Set a gift budget.
   I do this for gifts all year long, but at Christmas it’s especially important. Sit down with your spouse and discuss how much you want to spend on each other, children, parents, siblings and others. You can log this information in my Christmas Expense Tracker, and you’ll be able to use it next year as a starting point for setting your Christmas budget. Setting a budget has allowed us to avoid one spouse spending more than the other, spending more on one set of parents vs. the other and forgetting some people’s gifts entirely.
2. Draw names.
   Instead of shopping for everyone in your large family, suggest drawing names. This will allow you to get a nicer gift for one person than small presents for many people.
3. Buy for kids only.
   Children are the most fun to give gifts to. The excitement and glee all over their faces as they rip into gifts always makes me think of the saying, “Tis better to give than receive.” Why not suggest just buying for the children and letting the adults share in their joy?
4. Buy family gifts.
   Gifts like board games, movies, themed gift baskets or memberships to museums, zoos or theaters make perfect gifts for the whole family. And they can be much less stressful to buy than getting individual gifts for every member of the family.
5. Agree on a price limit for friends & family.
   Nothing is more awkward than spending $20 on your friend a Christmas gift when you can tell she spent more than $50. This situation can be avoided if you set a price limit on gifts with your friends and family.
6. Consider making gifts with special talent.
   Imagine getting pumpkin bread from your friend who is a fabulous baker or a monogrammed shirt from a family member who is a whiz with their Cricut. Use your special skill or favorite hobby to make your friends and family members a gift that is truly one-of-a-kind.
7. Give a quality time gift.
   Honestly, I can’t name a specific gift I received last year for Christmas. And I’m betting many of you can’t either. We are so blessed with material things in this country, but often poor in quality time spent with those we love. (I’m talking about phone-free, distraction-free time really focused on someone else.) Skip the gift and do something special with your friend or family member like a meal out or painting class.

If you are willing to be creative and talk to your friends and family members, you can save money on gifts without feeling cheap or greedy.

And don’t forget to download the free Christmas Expense Tracker to record what gifts you buy and how much you’re spending.

Dave Ramsey often says that in every marriage there is typically a saver and a spender. But even savers can be tempted by bargain shopping.

My hubby isn’t a big spender by any means, but he is the one more comfortable with spending, and I’m definitely the saver. Or the thrifty one, or the cheap one, or the tight one. However, you want to phrase it.

The one area that does seem to trip me up and really test my discipline is a good deal. There is something about getting a good bargain on an item that makes the item seem even better. Are you with me? Like these shoes look even better because I got them on sale for 1/2 price.

But even good bargains can blow the budget, and if you’re like me, give you a bad case of buyer’s remorse. We were shopping with family over the weekend and I picked up an awesome stash– everything from a new yoga mat to pillows for the guest bed to a Garth Brooks box set. Fifty dollars and a few hours later, I was lying in bed kicking myself for spending money on things I didn’t really need. Now, $50 doesn’t seem like that much money but repeatedly giving in to the urge to snag a deal can put a dent in the bank account. That’s when I decided to set some rules for future bargain shopping.

Rule #1: Is this item something I had already planned to buy?

Rule #2: Is this item something I will actually use on a regular basis, at least once per week?

Rule #3: Is this item something I absolutely adore vs. just getting it because it’s a good price?

Rule #4: Is this really a good price? Could I get a better price if I waited or looked at another store?

Rule #5: Is this item on my list? Next time I go shopping, I’ll make a list of the things I need to buy and stick.to.it.

So I get to add a couple of errands to my to-do list this week as I return several of the items that I shouldn’t have purchased to begin with. But the extra time and inconvenience it will take will help me learn my lesson and not repeat the same mistake.

Have you ever spent way too much on Christmas gifts because you weren’t paying attention to how much you were spending?

Have you ever given someone the same thing more than once?

Me too.

You know those 9×13 personalized cake pans that are ideal for taking to a potluck? They are awesome, and I love the one I was given as a gift. So I decided to get my mom one for Christmas. But at that time, I didn’t keep records of my Christmas purchases, so a couple of years later, I got her another cake pan. Oops! Hope you like cake.

You can save yourself embarrassment and quite a bit of money if you use an expense tracker. You can get the one I use here:

And, if you are looking for ways to save on your Christmas shopping in general, try these tips:

1. Shop those sales. 
   Everyone flocks to Black Friday sales for a reason, but if you’d like to avoid the madness, don’t forget the online deals. Not all businesses wait until Cyber Monday to post their deals. Many start as early as Thanksgiving to drop their prices online, and opt for free shipping or store pickup and miss the crowds.
2. Shop throughout the year.
   I know, I’m probably telling you this a little too late. But, if you find a great deal on something a friend or family member would love, and it’s the middle of August, get it anyway. Designate one spot in your house for gifts and stockpile everything there so you don’t forget.
3. Re-evaluate who you buy gifts for.
   Do you get gifts for every member of your extended family? And how much do you spend on each gift? You could suggest your family or group of friends draw names, do a white elephant exchange, set a price limit on gifts, buy for the kids only or just do a group activity together. If this is a little awkward, don’t make it about the money. Suggest these ideas as a way to simplify everyone’s Christmas and just enjoy each other’s company.
4. Share your skills and talents.
   Give a one-of-a-kind gift by making something for those on your list. Maybe you are a fabulous cook and have a special recipe you can make for your friends. Or if you love making cards, consider creating a small pack of personalized note cards for a close family member. Perhaps you are fantastic with flower arranging and you can craft a cute winter decoration that friends can leave out throughout the winter. These gifts are fun for you to create and are probably more meaningful to receive than a gift you purchase.
5. Save cash back or rebates for Christmas shopping.
   This is another tip that is best to start in January but will help you save next year. If you have a credit card that gives you cash back or use a particular website or app that gives you rebates each time you make a purchase, save the extra cash for Christmas spending. I have done that this year with our Amazon card, and we have over $100 to put toward our Amazon Christmas purchases.
6. Open a separate savings account to save for Christmas throughout the year.
   This is an oldie but a goodie. If you know (from your expenses tracker or an expense logging app) that you spend $600 on Christmas, put $50 each month into this designated account, and by December, you’ll have all the money ready for you to use without having to use credit or layaway.

It may take a few extra minutes in planning, but you can save money and simplify your Christmas shopping by using some of these tips. What other ways do you save on Christmas shopping? Send your ideas to defeatingbusy@gmail.com and I will add your ideas to this post.

And don’t forget to download your free expenses tracker so you can log all of your purchases this year.

You would think with a toddler who does everything at 100% of max volume, our dining out expenses would be low. Wrong. Although we certainly aren’t enjoying any fine dining accompanied by classical music, we are big takeout fans. It usually happens on the weekends or on nights when I’m exhausted by 5 p.m.

In an attempt to cut down our dining out expenses, I rounded up a few tips to help without cutting out restaurants altogether.

1. Skip the drinks.
   Even if you’re not drinking alcohol, having a glass of tea or soda costs a fortune. At about $2 each, just order water and stop at the grocery for a nicer beverage afterward.
2. Share an entrée.
   One person can order an appetizer or side dish, while the other orders an entrée and a side. Appetizers and sides typically cost way less than entrees, and you’ll still have plenty of food to share with the large size of entrees. Another trick is to order an appetizer and a dessert to share, and skip the entrees completely.
3. Find out where kids eat free.
   If you have kids, make a list of the restaurants that offer free kids meals and on what nights these deals are. Who wants to pay $5 for a kids meal that your kids just pick at anyway?
4. Serve yourself or get takeout.
   Carrying out your food or choosing a restaurant where you do not have waiter means you eliminate or at least minimize the tip.
5. Consider discount cards.
   If you eat at local restaurants pretty frequently, consider purchasing a discount card that is usually sold by school organizations. With 3 or 4 restaurant visits, you will recoup the cost of the discount card/book, and save a ton on your favorite restaurants.
6. Keep an eye out for coupons.
   The Wednesday and Sunday newspapers both typically have restaurant coupons. Clip these even if you aren’t sure you will use them. Then, if you have a fierce craving for a meal not made with your own two hands, you can still save.

What other tricks do you have for saving cash when eating out?

Does anyone else feel like they spend a fortune on groceries each month? It doesn’t seem to matter whether we are eating extra healthy or eating more processed foods, I can’t seem to get through the month without spending a ridiculous amount on groceries. But since my husband isn’t willing to starve and not feeding my daughter would be child abuse, I’ve tried to find a few ways to save money on groceries without turning into an extreme couponer. (Ain’t nobody got time for that.)

Here are the ways I’ve found to cut back:

• Shop at ALDI.
  ALDI doesn’t have everything, but what they do have, I buy. Their food is almost always priced lower than everyone else, and they continue to get more and more healthy products like organic snacks, coconut oil and grass-fed beef. This girl has no problem bagging her own groceries if you save me bunches of moolah.
• Download the Ibotta & Checkout 51 apps.
  I tried these apps after reading recommendations by Money Saving Mom. Both apps are super simple to use. Just add offers to your list and submit a photo of your grocery receipt after you buy the items. They add the dollars to your account, and you get either a gift card or Paypal deposit when you reach a set amount. The only reason I have not continued using these apps is because we do not buy much processed food, so I couldn’t use many of the offers. But if you do, check these out.
• Create a price list.
  Make a list of the food items you buy most often, and write down how much the stores that you shop at charge for each item. Don’t forget to include wholesale stores and websites like Amazon if you have memberships. Making a price list means you’ll know with certainty which store has the best price and whether an item on sale is actually a good deal. Admittedly, I haven’t updated my list in a while, but I need to.
• Go meatless on Mondays.
  Meat is one of the more expensive items to buy, and you can save a few dollars each week by cooking a meatless meal. Even hardcore meat eaters can make it one meal without the meat, right?
• Shop the sales.
  If you compare the weekly ads and see that chicken is on sale at a great price, then make sure you have a chicken dish added to your menu for the week. And if you have the space in your freezer, you can buy extra and take advantage of the great buy.
• Buy bagged produce.
  If you can get produce in a bag like apples, citrus, potatoes and onions, it is probably a better deal than buying them individually. Just make sure that if you buy 10 onions, you use them enough to eat them before they go bad. I speak from experience.

What other ways do you save on groceries? Are you big couponers or are you too lazy to do the work like me?