Create a Holiday Spending Plan 2014 holiday spending forecasts indicate that consumers continue to be cautious in their beliefs about the economy and their spending. Nearly three-quarters of consumers believe the economy is the same or worse than last year, and 84% plan to spend the same or less than last year. Spending decisions will be driven primarily by price and convenience. At the same time, 41% plan to increase online spending in 2014.* First, think about your financial goals for this holiday season. - Do you intend to spend less, more, or about the same as last year? - Do you intend to spend differently this season? In what way? - Will you use or avoid using credit this season? I n preparation for your spending plan, if possible review your receipts and bills from last year. Determine how much you spent and how long it took to pay off the purchases if you used credit. Use this worksheet on page 2 to help you keep track. If you cannot access your receipts, make your best estimates. Look at your results and determine what your 2014 budget will be. I f your spending was reasonable, congratulate yourself and remind yourself of 1-2 techniques that were key to your reasonable spending. I f your spending was higher than you wanted to spend, take a look at the current year column. Prioritize your list. Put As alongside the absolute musts. Mark the pretty importants with Bs. Identify the not so importants with a C. Cross your Cs off your list. Do this exercise once again with the remaining expenses. Again, consider cutting out all Cs. Look at what you have left. Does this make you feel more comfortable? A nother approach: Separating your list by the I have to gifts and the I really want to gifts. Perhaps gifts for Mom and the kids are a have to, but they can also be a really want to. Avoid giving a gift to someone (such as the leader of your book club) if it feels mostly obligatory and not joyful. Think through your I have to list. Are all of these really have tos? Can you eliminate any? Can you reduce the amount spent on these gifts? What/who is your priority? If possible, do this exercise with your partner, so that you both are committed to the same goals. * Source: www.slideshare.net/pwc/2014-holiday-outlook
expenses Expenses Last year's cost estimate This year's cost estimate Giftwrap/Packaging Stamps/Postage Holiday Cards Holiday Meals (home) - Ingredients Holiday Meals (out) - Restaurants Baking/Cooking - Ingredients Potluck Dishes - Ingredients Decorations - Outside Decorations - Inside Travel - air, train, auto Hotels/Lodging Alcohol Gas/Tolls/Taxi/Parking Holiday Clothing Other Subtotal gifts Recipients Last year's cost estimate This year's cost estimate Hostess Gifts Office/Co-workers Teachers Friends Family Subtotal Total Expenses
Navigate Holiday Shopping Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and other days of the season Black Friday tips Decide if you are a Black Friday kind of shopper. If not, good holiday deals are available after Black Friday as well. Plan, plan, plan. Make a list and stick to it. Do online research beforehand. Use Black Friday and holiday gift buying apps that you trust to your advantage. Bring a group to do the shopping, and give individual assignments for items that are on sale at the same time. Guard against getting carried away. It s easy for the atmosphere to impact your judgement. No deal is worth getting hurt over. If the scene seems like insanity, it s ok to walk away. Small Business Saturday Started by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday encourages support of small local brick and mortar businesses. Check it out here. Cyber Monday Tips Cyber Monday, the Monday following Black Friday, has become a very popular online shopping event. Use your lunch hour or a time outside of working hours. Be wary of any deal that sounds too good to be true. Read the fine print. Make sure you are taking appropriate security precautions when purchasing online. Stick with online retailers that you trust. Check a retailer s return policy before purchasing. For added security, consider using a Pay Pal account or credit cards rather than a debit card. General Tips for a Less Frenzied Shopping Experience Shop during times when there will be fewer shoppers out and about. Mid-week tends to be less crowded than other days. Give the gift of grace and empathy. The added demands of the season can make for incredibly high stress levels. Weigh the pros and cons of handmade vs. purchased. Make sure that you have given yourself an adequate amount of time to complete your handmade gift. Set up a place and a time to wrap gifts. This task almost always takes longer than we think it will. Know what type of activities work best to de-stress yourself, then use them.
Reasons to be reasonable (with your spending, that is!) 1. Do your holiday shopping on your own terms, rather than making the buying decisions based on the influence of outside forces. This will provide you with that most valuable and elusive of holiday gifts - peace of mind. Take note of your reactions and emotions while you are making your plans or doing your shopping. Feeling guilty, pressured, frustrated, annoyed, angry, or that you are not meeting others expectations are warning signs that you are not making decisions based on your own terms. Think of it this way emotions are fleeting, the bills will not. 2. Are you trying to create the perfect holiday for your family or yourself? What will make it perfect? Remember, the goal of perfection is a moving target as soon as you think you re there, you find there s something else you could do to make it even more perfect. Is perfection your family s expectation or yours? Perfection can be extremely expensive and exhausting. 3. Finally, being reasonable with holiday spending means that you have money left over to treat yourself. No, this is not being selfish. Think of it as taking care of you. It could be a trip to the spa, money in your savings, that gift for yourself that you know no one will think of getting you, or even a new experience you ve wanted to try. 4. Before purchasing a gift that is beyond your budgeted amount, estimate the number of hours of work that the purchase represents. While we may gladly put in the hours to buy a loved one something special, perhaps the equivalent of 3 hours of work isn t what you had in mind for your friend s boss wife s nephew. When in doubt, take a deep breath and ask yourself, Is this (purchase/expense) reasonable? If the answer is no, take some time to think it through before committing yourself to the financial investment.
Alternatives to Holiday Spending Do a hot chocolate crawl or a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings! Go ice skating. Make a holiday blooper photo album. Write your own words to a holiday song. Make a collage of old holiday cards. Have an ugly sweater contest at work. Have a holiday card design contest. Play holiday charades. Think of a new tradition to start. Tell stories of your worst holiday purchases. Tell stories of your best holiday experiences or gifts received. Donate to a charity or to a local family in need (food, clothing, etc.). Let each family member have a day to pick an activity (within reason!), then do it. Make funky holiday ornaments from items found in your garage or backyard. Build a gingerbread house out of graham crackers or holiday trees out of ice cream cones. Have a holiday cookie-making party. Make the dough ahead of time, and bring out the sugar decorations. Have everyone pick a safe activity to do imperfectly to remind each other to let go of perfection during the holiday season. Take pictures of the results! Pick days in December and have every family member rename the day to something of their liking. Check out some holiday classics and take turns reading out loud together. Attend a holiday play. Sign up for holiday card-making or crafting class/event at a paper or crafts store. Bundle up and take a walk in the snow, in the woods or a nature path.