Holiday Spending Tips ... Continued
Six more ways to save on holiday spending:
5. Avoid Buying Holiday Gifts on Credit
Starting early and planning ahead should allow you to make many or even most of your holiday shopping purchases by cash or debit card, because you are buying over several paychecks. You will avoid the after holiday credit card debt.
6. Understand Your Credit Cards
If you are going to use your credit cards for some of your holiday spending, take the time to review your cards and see which has more favorable terms - low interest rates or a low introductory rate for example. Using that card for your holiday shopping can save you money.
7. Keep Track of Your Holiday Spending
Keep a running tally of your holiday spending. You need to keep your receipts anyway in case of returns, so keep them in one spot and add them up. It sounds like a very small point, but reminding yourself periodically of how much you are really spending and how that matches the budget you have set will help you keep excess spending under control.
8. Develop a Post-Holiday Payment Plan
If you do use credit cards for your purchases, make paying off that balance a priority. Holiday bargains are not bargains any more if you are still paying interest in July.
9. Make it at Home
Sometimes the best gifts come from the heart and the home. How about making a few batches of Christmas cookies and putting them in colorful tins, or getting the kids involved in making homemade tree ornaments for family and friends? Depending on your interests there are literally hundreds of gifts you can make at home. Friends and family will appreciate the thought and you won't have debt.
10. Give of Yourself
If you're good at something, giving people a service can be a great gift. Can you fix something for them, babysit, or do their taxes? Maybe make meals or desserts for an older person who finds it difficult to cook for themselves. The true value of a gift should not be the amount of money spent on it. Your time and attention can be priceless!
We hope these holiday saving tips help you enjoy the festivities without the stress of worrying about after holiday debt.
Look here for the first four of our holiday spending tips 
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