5 Red Hot Things To Consider This Holiday Season

By: Red Hot Mamas

Published: November 24, 2014

Spending and the holiday season certainly go hand in hand.  But there are some things to consider before you find yourself overspending and accumulating significant debt due to holiday shopping sprees.

Here are 5 Red Hot tips that you might consider to help you not overspend this holiday season and to help make your holiday season less stressful:

1   Establish gift spending limits.  Discuss this with your family and friends before the holiday season even begins.  Work together to establish spending limit for gifts.  This will make life easier and less stressful if you develop a gift giving strategy that has a budget attached to it.

2  Use only one credit card when shopping for holiday purchases.  This will help you to monitor your spending purchases.  It will also help to greatly reduce you to overspend on presents.  Taking steps to manage your credit card bills certainly will help when the January bills arrive in your mail.  There should be no surprises.

3  Are your family members far away, perhaps living miles from you across the USA or even in another country?  This may necessitate shipping of gifts which certainly causes even more stress and costs.  So, it’s important for you to look for retailers that may be offering free shipping. Gift cards are also another option.  And, these too, can sometimes be sent via e-mail which is an inexpensive way to send a gift to faraway places.

4 Here are some gift ideas for those special people in your life.  Food is always a great gift.  Fruit and food basketsare always welcomed gifts when received.  Pampering services, like a massage, a visit to a favorite hair salon, all are thoughtful gifts.  Even passing down something sentimental that has been in your family has great appeal; for example the antique plate that your grandmother gave you.  Perhaps, one of your family members would also treasure that item.  Gifts don’t have to all be brand new; antique shops are full of unusual items that have interesting histories that are welcomed gifts.  Family photos and memory books all make lovely gifts.  Cooking lessons or a night out at a local restaurant are fun gifts to give.

5 Lastly, we all are familiar with the gifts we receive that we just won’t ever use– which must be returned.  Remember it’s important not to delay returning the item.  If you take it back in time, you may be able to get cash back rather than just store credit.  If possible, bring in the original gift receipt.  One note: some retailers will not give cash back if you only have a gift receipt.  Before heading to the store know the return policy of the store.  This may save you plenty of time waiting in long lines to be told that the item cannot be returned.

Have a fun, safe, healthy Holiday Season!