Holiday Budget Crunching

Times are tough this year.  This holiday season will be rough on everyone.  Families are crunching their budgets in every way possible and from every angle.  Retailers are biting their nails waiting to see what the holidays will bring in for them.    Shoppers like me are taking more time to actually compare prices and actually shop the stores.  

What do I mean exactly when I say “actually shop the stores”?  I mean really look at the items you are about to purchase.  Compare name brands, prices and most of all ask the clerks questions.  Ask them what makes a certain brand name better than another.   Ask them about the quality of the items you are comparing.  Is made in the USA actually more expensive than a made in China label?  If you decide to pay the higher price will you actually be getting the better product?  Write down your answers about the items, so you can compare those answers with the information you get from another store.  Sometimes you can get by a little cheaper with your gifts if you actually purchase a gift instead of purchasing a money gift card. 

If you choose gift card options.  I personally think, if you are having to crunch your budget, restaurante gift cards are the way to go.  You may be able to spend less on those types gift cards versus buying department store gift card.  Better yet, find out if they eat lunch out during work , buy them a card for their favorite “on the go” place.

If you are a crafter this is definately a good year to go to work.  Hand crafting your own gifts is always a hit.  Some easy and budget crunching ideas are purses, book bags, throw pillows  and anything else your creative minds will come up with.  Creativity is always a winner this time of the year.

Stay within your budgets.  Everyone is doing it this year!