Surviving Christmas Spending: How To Protect Your Bank Balance This Year > Articles > Surviving Christmas Spending: How To Protect Your Bank Balance This Year November 11th, 2019 Christmas may not feel like it’s right around the corner… But it is. You have about 40 days to get everything in order before the 25th — presents, your tree, food, drinks and, of course, money. Many Kiwis feel the pinch when it comes to paying for Christmas. Like with everything that involves money, planning is key to avoiding stress and insuring success. So before you let the calendar run down like you did last year, check this quick Christmas cheat sheet to help you financially survive the festive season (and avoid the Boxing Day budget blues). Beat The Festive Price Hikes — Buy Now! Most of us get caught out by the last minute rush. December 23, to be exact. But if you’re reading this now, it means you’re thinking ahead. So, rather than wait for the Christmas retailers to hike their prices at the last minute while most folks are freaking buying last minute presents and premium prices… One way to save money (and limit stress) is to buy your gifts now. You’ll avoid the last minute price hikes, plus the stress that comes with battling all the other 11th-hour shoppers. All in all, you could easily save yourself several hundred bucks by buying your gifts this week, not next month! Get Yourself An Extra $350 To Go Bargain Hunting in The Boxing Day Sales You have seven weeks until Christmas right now. If you save $50 every week starting this week, you’ll have an extra $350 sitting in your bank account. Combine that with the savings you could make by getting your Christmas shopping done earlier than everyone else, and you could have a tidy few hundred bucks ready for the Boxing Day Sales. By waiting a few days, you can pick up items at massive discounts in the days after Christmas. And, if you have some extra cash sitting around, you’ll double down on your savings this year. Simple Secret To Avoiding Money Stress Next Christmas Like we said, planning has a lot to do with financial freedom. And if you’re up for changing the way you go about preparing for Christmas by making some smart financial moves ahead of time, check this out: If you save just $20 a week starting January 1, 2020, you’ll have about $900 sitting there by the end of November. What would your Christmas look like this year if you had an extra $900 ready to use? Of course, not everyone does plan and save like this. If 2019 isn’t the year where you can budget and plan your way to doing everything you need to, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. If you have any questions about obtaining fast, fair finance, we’re always happy to help.
