News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The first step to holiday shopping is creating a solid budget.
That’s according to Overton Family and Consumer Sciences Agent Christina Swallows. She said that sticking with a budget can help keep your finances in line as you move into the new year.
“This is the amount that you have predetermined that I can spend on Christmas without having to continue paying into 2022,” Swallows said. “Now I can understand paying a credit card off in ’22 in January, but you don’t want it to happen in February, March, April, May and June.”
Swallows said that a holiday budget should account for gifts, decorations, food, and entertainment. She said that the best way to stretch your dollars is to take advantage of deals. She said that retailers will use Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other holiday deals to get people into their stores.
Swallows said that once you’ve determined your budget, you should start assigning how much you’re willing to spend on each gift. She said that if the money is tight for the year, sometimes it will be the thought that matters the most.
“A homemade gift or trying to make a homemade gift for your family and friends instead of going out and buying something so you can try and stretch those dollars further,” Swallows said. “And when it comes down to it if you’ve got good friends and family that support you and you say my money is tight this year and we can’t exchange gifts or I’m not going to be able to get you a gift this year they should be very supportive in that and they should support you in that. Whereas you could go out and get a cup of coffee with them and enjoy time together instead of some little trinket that expresses a little bit of love.”
