5 Ways to Have a Stress-Free Holiday

If you are like most people, holidays are a time when you are more financially stressed out than other times of the year. It is during holidays that you have to worry extra about buying gifts and food. Things can get overwhelming in a hurry.

It might not be possible to remove all of your financial worries during holidays, but it is possible to remove some of your worries. While your shopping list only increases while your budget shrinks, you can actually enjoy the holidays without getting yourself bankrupt. 

Here are 5 ways to stay sane during holidays:

1. Set up a budget: The very first thing you need to do is to check your earnings and expenses. Once you have done this, determine what you are willing to spend on things like gifts, food and holiday vacation packages. Make a list. Doing these things shall save you from having the temptation of buying on a whim, or from going on shopping sprees. 

2. Plan your shopping sprees: You’ll have to go shopping during the holidays, but that is no reason to buy everything at the store! Before you even go anywhere near the shop, plan everything. Determine what you have to buy, and divide that into things you Need and things you Want. This way, there shall be no wastage of your valuable money.
   

3. If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it: If you knew how much percentage of buyers use their emergency savings to buy things, or use payday loans to take vacations, you’d be surprised! Around 25% of parents use their savings to buy items. If you cannot buy something without having to get a loan, it is best not to buy it. 

4. Give creative when gifting: It’s not written in stone that you need to buy expensive gifts only! If you want to save money and be creative at the same time, why not give handmade presents which you have made? These things have more of an emotional impact which others can, because these are made with love and care. These are personalized, and therefore, the receiver shall love it even more.

5. Remember what the festival is all about: Think you have to buy expensive presents only? Well, think again. Festive seasons are times for friends and families to get together and have the time of their lives. So as you can see, gifts are secondary. They are not so important. Think about it: a person who loves and cares for you, will such a person give your expensive gift more value, or your presence? 

As you can see, you can enjoy the holiday season, enjoy and have fun stress-free, and also save up money! Happy holidays!