10 tips for avoiding holiday financial stress

Tips for making it through to the New Year with your wallet still intact...and without feeling like Ebenezer Scrooge

Holly Cook | 26-11-09 | E-mail Article

The Christmas shopping season has officially started and retailers desperate to move inventory have already started holiday sales. Last year, UK shoppers managed to hold off until the last minute, surging into stores after a standoff on the 23rd and 24th December, by which time most retailers had slashed prices. The retail industry is said to be "cautiously optimistic" this time round following 'Black Christmas' last year, with seasonal sales forecast to hit £44.7 billion compared to £43.9 billion in 2008, according to a report commissioned by Kelkoo and carried out by the Centre for Retail Research.

This year, there are bound to be some legitimately good deals in the shopping rush, but it's also easy to get sucked into the holiday bustle and spend more than you intended. Every year, millions of generous shoppers face holiday credit card debt in January so if you want to avoid joining them, take heed of our 10 tips for avoiding holiday financial stress.

1. Make a holiday budget. Include gifts, decorations, estimated costs of holiday meals, travel costs. postal charges, and anything else you can think of. Decide in advance on the total amount you are willing to spend for the holidays.

2. Shop with a list. Decide for whom you will purchase gifts and how much you plan to spend on each before you start shopping. Cut down your list or the scale of gifts as necessary to match your budget. A list is particularly important when you head out to big sale events--it will help stop you from spending hundreds on things you don't really need. Otherwise, efforts to nab a bargain can be counterproductive. Beware of deals that trick you into spending more than you otherwise would, such as buy-two-get-a-third-free discounts.

3. Don't shop for yourself. Or, at the very least, set a personal allowance before you start shopping for others. Shopping aimlessly will make you want unnecessary items.

4. If you can't afford it now, don't buy it. Do not buy on credit with the idea that you can pay it off next month. If you think you will have a hard time staying within your budget, leave your credit cards at home and bring only your allotted amount of cash or your debit card.

5. Be wary of store credit cards. The 10-15% discount can make opening an account worthwhile if you're doing almost all of your shopping at one place, but make sure you can afford to pay the purchase off right away. Do not open more than one store credit card--each account you apply for generates a hard inquiry that could dent your credit score. Plus, these cards typically have very high interest rates and low credit limits that can easily get you into trouble.

6. Comparison shop. While it's tempting to purchase gifts on the spot to get the task over with, taking the time to compare prices can save you big money. Several tools can help you compare. Try Kelkoo or PriceChecker for starters.

7. Look for vouchers, especially if shopping online. There are countless sites that offer voucher codes for popular retailers. Try My Voucher Codes and Discount Vouchers. It's not uncommon to get 15-20% off and/or free shipping.

8. Keep track of your purchases. Write down everything you buy so you can see where you stand with your budget. Do not wait to be surprised by your credit card bill. Or, try using an online service like Moneydashboard.com to keep tabs on your transactions.

9. Start early to give yourself time to comparison shop and find gifts before prices go up.

10. Consider less costly gift options. Try making gifts, such as baked goods, rather than buying items for everyone. My family and friends welcome my homemade chutneys every year, and the effort that goes into making them helps me feel happy about supplementing these jars with small gifts that are sentimentally valuable rather than financially valuable. Alternatively, draw names within your family or group of friends rather than having everyone get presents for everyone else--'Secret Santa'. You're probably not the only one who would like to spend less on gifts.

Holly Cook is Site Editor of Morningstar.co.uk and Hemscott.com. She would like to hear from you but cannot give financial advice. You can contact the author via this feedback form.
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