Story Created:
Nov 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Nov 27, 2007 at 12:27 PM CDT
Were you one of those brave souls that ventured out over the Thanksgiving weekend to shop for the holidays? If you still have plenty of shopping to do, that could be a good thing because our financial expert Aaron Maguire has some good tips on avoiding the holiday debt this year.
1) Plan and make a list of what you are going need for the Holiday.
· Friends and Family you need to buy gifts for.
· Holiday decorations you would like…both inside the home and outside
· Do you plan on having a party?
· Holiday cards you plan on sending out…and how many
· Estimate the Costs of Everything above what ever else you plan on buying
2) You need to set a budget!
· Figure out how much you can afford by just paying cash for the gifts
· Consider adjusting your spending downward on the gifts you are buying
· Shop around to get the best deal
· Look at your current credit card to see if you accumulated rebate points…if you did, that is a great source to get gift cards
· Start looking now to avoid the stress of last minute shopping.
3) Use your creative talents.
· Make something that you are good at for a friend or loved one, perhaps…photography…cooking…gift baskets…it will have even more meaning to the person that receives the gift
· If you are having a party…ask your guests to bring a food item to cut down on your costs
· Do your best to avoid using your credit card if you know you will not be able to pay off the balance…your family and true friends will understand if money is tight this year.
If you'd like more financial information visit www.reliancewealth.com or e-mail Aaron with any questions.
