The Budget Smart Girl’s Five Things To Do List
The holidays aren’t all about spending money; they can be about saving it too. Here are my top five things that every Budget Smart Girl should be doing right now-
Stocking Up
Hopefully, your budget isn’t stretched to the max because the last two weeks of the year are perfect for stocking up. Check your local supermarket and you’ll find things like flour, canned veggies, spices and chocolate are all heavily discounted. And the good news is all many of these items have a long shelf life, so now’s the time to grab the bargains.
Thinking Ahead
Okay, you’ve just got over one celebration and you don’t want to start thinking about the next one just yet, but the Budget Smart Girl always plans ahead. Valentine’s Day isn’t that far away so why not buy some red wrapping paper, some chocolates and other baking supplies and get a head straight…and yes, save some money.
Thinking About Next Year’s Holiday Season
And while you’re buying the red wrapping paper, leap way ahead and think about next holiday season. Grab the wrapping paper, the bags, the cards, even the holiday decorations. When November rolls around, you’re going to be so happy that you saved a ton of money and checked off one thing on your must buy list.
Thinking about Birthdays
When you’ve spent all your money on holiday gifts, the last thing you need to do is buy a birthday gift. But if you’re smart and have some cash left, why not head to the stores and pick out a few gifts to keep on the shelf for later use. Visit stores like K-Mart, Target, TJ Maxx who always seem to have bath and body gift sets marked down by at least 75%. I’ve picked up a few of these every year, and also some great cocoa and tea gift sets, complete with a teapot and mugs for under $10. But be warned, these get picked up early, usually the day after Christmas, so it pays to shop on December 26th.
Treating Yourself
Okay, you’ve been good this year, you’ve kept to your budget…well, I hope you have, so why not reward yourself. Now don’t go overboard, but right after the holidays, retailers are most likely to slash their prices to get rid of old stock ready for spring merchandise. And just the other day, I was watching the CBS Saturday show and they had a segment on last minute gifts. The guest said this year we’re going to see retailers slashing prices even more after January 1st. I guess there is a plus to all this doom and gloom. If you get some cash for the holidays, hang on to it, and by the middle of January you should be able to find yourself some top notch bargains.