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Many of us find ourselves strapped for cash due to Christmas shopping at the end of the year. I'm guilty of this, especially since it's my puppy's first christmas and it just HAD to be special. But is there a better way? What can we do to thwart these holiday expenses that lead to headaches in January? One option is to do what I did this year and call one of my utilities and ask them to push my bill to next month and waive the late fee. They did it, as most will when you call, but I was thinking what would keep me out of this situation next year? So I did some research and learned that there are savings accounts specifically for Christmas.
Depending on your banking institution there are a few ways these exist. Some offer specific savings accounts you can make which won't let you withdrawl any money until December or unless you call them to authorize it. There's also banks like Capital One and Ally where their savings accounts allow you to create buckets for travel, Christmas, emergencies, birthdays, etc. but they don't require you to call and get authorization to withdrawl the money.
Since I just found this out I thought I'd share it with you ladies and hopefully more than just my headache will be cured for 2025! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, y'all. 🎄
Just some basic suggestions -
Put $10 per week (or whatever you can afford) into a separate bank account and you will have some decent cash by Dec.
Set a $ limit of gift per person (eg $50) and stick to it.
Buy gifts during the year when there are sales.
You can make (or bake) Christmas treats and wrap them nicely for a cost-effective gift.
I start shopping and planning as early as August and I shove it in the back of my closet. When it’s time, I bring it all out and wrap it all at once.
This year, I was able to gift my mother AirPods, an expensive wallet with a matching wallet without any guilt since I bought it so long ago. Closer to the date, I was able to buy some expensive makeup.
I'm broke and would pickup things that were on clearance or a really great price and set them aside for gifts