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I'll let that sink in for a second.
We always approach the holidays as a cash-only endeavor, and I have no plans to change that. I plan carefully and spread out the spending during the months leading up to Christmas.
One thing that I have already started doing is picking up gift cards when I'm shopping. At most grocery stores these days, you can buy a gift card for pretty much anyplace, but the smallest denomination is often $25. Sometimes I want a card worth $25 or more, and it's so easy to add it to my grocery bill that day. It's especially nice when I've managed to save that amount (or more) with coupons!
Gift cards in the $5 - $10 range are great to have on hand to give as tips, include in cards, or stuff stockings. By picking them up during a regular shopping trip in the months leading up to Christmas, it helps spread out my holiday budget. Who doesn't like a $5 gift card to Starbucks? Even though I don't drink coffee -- I do drink tea!
Have you started your Christmas / holiday shopping yet? Some years I'm almost done by now, but I haven't really started yet this year. I have just a few gift cards tucked away in my closet, but will start looking for deals and specials in the coming weeks!
Christmas is always a cash only affair for us. A couple of years ago, with my husband's family we went to drawing names with the adults and a $25 limit. Now my MiL wants to do away with gifts for the adults entirely. Or she said something about home made gifts (but the only thing I make is highly perishable food) while she is very crafty. She also said something about giving to charity instead. Something about that rubs me the wrong way. I'm thinking, "Great, give to a charity as much as you want, but don't pretend it is someone's Christmas gift."
ReplyDeleteOooh, I love the idea of collecting gift cards while out shopping. Smart idea!
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