Holiday season is right around the corner, meaning it is almost time to start buying gifts. Whether it’s for a family member, a friend or even yourself, the end of November until the end of December is the perfect time to buy a gift with all of the major holidays converging around the same time. However, if you are on a budget, you may find affording some of the things that you want to buy is a little difficult. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to make affording expensive holiday gifts just a little easier.
Save Up
The most common solution to affording holiday gifts is to save up your money. If you have enough time before you need to make your purchase, you can put away a little bit of money each week. Then, when it comes time to buy, your savings will have accumulated and your budget will not be hurt as badly. The more time you give yourself, the more you will be able to save up, so start as soon as you can. If it’s too late to save up for this season, consider starting a holiday fund for the following year. Take a few dollars out from each paycheck, and by this time next year, you’ll be better able to afford all of the things you want to buy.
Find Good Deals
During the holiday season, stores love to run various promotions. There are discounts on all kinds of items, and they can happen at any time. Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and three days later on Cyber Monday are the perfect time to find great deals since every store is competing against one another to draw your business. These deals will often be promoted ahead of time, so you can plan out what you want to get. Keep in mind that if you find a good deal, chances are it will sell out quick, so be sure to move fast!
Purchase Used or Refurbished
Another great option is to look for items that are used or refurbished. Purchasing an item that has been used before does not always mean the quality is any lower. Just be sure that the product still works before you buy it and that there is no noticeable damage. By purchasing an item used or refurbished, you can still end up with a great product, all at a lower cost. Many stores will have a used or refurbished section on their websites, or you can browse local ads in your area.
Finance It
If you don’t have the money to put out now for an item, see if the store offers financing options. With financing, you make monthly payments until the purchase is paid off. There are a lot of options these days – from cars and televisions, to cell phones and even firearms financing. So no matter what you are getting, see what kind of payment options are available before you decide. You may be able to make small monthly payments on something that is expensive and simply pay it off over time.
Earn More Money
Your last option is to have more money to begin with. Of course, earning more money is easier said than done, and if you could easily make more money, you probably would have done so by now. Still, there are plenty of ways that you can make some extra cash during the holidays. Stores always need an extra hand during these busy months, or you could do holiday-specific jobs like sell Christmas trees or dress in a Santa costume. If those don’t work for you, consider selling some of the junk around your home that you don’t need any more. Not only will this generate some cash, but you’ll clear out some space for the new things you are buying.
Plan Ahead
The key to making the holidays more affordable is to plan ahead. If you wait until the last moment, you will potentially miss out on some great deals, have no money saved up and not have any time to earn more cash. But if you know what you are doing ahead of time, you can make sure that you have the money you need and that you are spending it wisely.
