As the holidays approach, there are plenty of things to think about. While you may be thinking about the festive side of things, you also need to be carefully thinking about what you're spending and have a spending plan.
4 Tips For Smart Holiday Spending
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Sikes]Stephen Sikes
As the holidays come closer and closer, you may be starting to get nervous. Perhaps you are thinking back to last year at this time when you started your shopping and were having a great time buying things for everyone on your list. Then you flash to January of this year. The credit card bills arrived and you spent months trying to pay off all the spending you did.
Instead of letting things happen that way again, you need to have a better plan to be able to spend smart this holiday season.
Budget
Start with a holiday budget. You need to set a reasonable amount that you will be able to spend to get everything you want or need without letting the spending get out of hand. Make a list of all the people you need to buy gifts for, the parties you will be buying food for, or the festive events you want to attend, and how much they will cost. Keep this budget nearby and always refer to it before you think of making a purchase so you only buy what you need
Devise a Shopping Plan
The best way to do your Christmas shopping in budget is to learn how to get more for your money. One great way to do this is with shopping rewards credit cards. Shopping rewards credit cards are cards that literally reward you for shopping. They may be issued by a particular store, catalog or mall. As you spend on your shopping rewards credit cards you rack up points that can often be used for discounts or even gift certificates to the store, so you can get more for your money.
Don't Wait
Procrastination is your enemy. The longer you wait to get things done, the more you will become frantic as the holidays get closer. Being in a panic while shopping is a sure recipe to spend a lot more than you should because you start purchasing things that are not on your list in your frenzy.
Create a Payoff Plan
As you start your shopping this season, you should also start your strategy for paying it off. Ultimately, you should not spend more than you can pay off in one or two months, or you will be working against yourself as interest is tacked on to the money you owe. You may want to start saving up before the holidays and then use that money to pay off your cards after you have done all your shopping, while still getting any rewards your cards offer.
Steve Sikes is an MBA and writes articles on credit cards and other financial products. To read other articles and compare and apply online for top credit card offers for low interest, balance transfers, rewards, cash back, business, airline miles, you will want to visit http://www.CreditCardWave.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stephen_Sikes http://EzineArticles.com/?4-Tips-For-Smart-Holiday-Spending&id=1558843
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