Christmas Havic on your Budget

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!  Not only that, CHRIS loves CHRISTMAS!! Between daddy and I we are NOT a healthy mix.  We love to do lots of fun things for the holidays and make them fun and special.  We like to walk around, look at the lights, get hot coca, champagne, etc.  This makes for a very expensive time of year.

I have been trying to cut corners in our budget since we sold our house, however living in somone ease's home can make that hard.  Going out to eat sometimes is just a MUCH easier option then messing up the in-laws kitchen.


Chris and I originally planed out a budget  it was alittle on the thin side, but that didn't last.  Normally we wait until January and play catchup, but this year, I was determined to stay on top of it. 
All of the gifts have been bought, or planed I have a few last gifts to do, but it is almost done.  I have wrapped everything I have and am getting excited.

To make things even more fun around christmas, Chris and my anniversary is on the 17.  We have been MARRIED for almost 8 years!! YEAH!! So we add that to the mix and it makes things even more tight at times.

 

My 3 keys to saving your budget at christmas is....
1: Have a plan, write down what you will be getting people, and when you add items (cause come on most of us add items) put them on the list.  I used a google doc this year, I have blanks that just have mine or hubbies names, but we know what is for who, and how much we have spent.

2: Don't buy into the hype.  The last few years I have gone shopping on BLACK FRIDAY! It was really fun and exciting, but you can get sucked IN.... This year, I was already done, so I looked at a few websites to see if they had big sales and most did not, I only bought 1 item that was $20 off, online.  I would rather not "save the money" then be out and end up buying alot of garbage.

3: You dont have to buy for everyone.  This is the HARDEST for me, and has taken along time for me to get.  We have decided with family to stop buying for each other (my siblings and chris') we buy for the kids, but it is not a necessity.  I feel that it makes it ALOT less stressful, and really exchanging gift cards.