November Topic of the Month: Preparing Financially for the Holiday Season

The holiday season can be very stressful for everyone, not because of all the things that need to be done, the house cleaning, the gift buying, the food preparation, the parties to attend and all the little things that come along.  But it can also be financially stressful as well.

Here are a few tips that may help you navigate the holiday financial stress:

1.  Have a budget for how much you want to spend on each person, plan budgets for holiday meals and parties.
2. Talk to extended families about exchanging gifts; maybe plan a family get together with a fun movie night or family game night.
3. Look through the old stand by drawer where you put things you don’t want to forget; you will probably find some old gift certificates or gift cards that you may be able to purchase some gifts with.
4. Watch for specials at your favorite stores, like extra percentage off or free shipping.  Little savings can be helpful in the long run.