Gift Giving Budget

Do you often find yourself strapped for money whenever you have an occassion that requires a gift? Believe me, we've all been there. Here are a few strategies to help you get started.

1) Just do it. Sit down and make a Gift Giving Budget. Plan ahead for all your Birthdays and Holidays. If you take a few minutes now, when those occassions arrive, you're not caught off guard. My husband and I take part of our tax refund each year and set it aside for Christmas. Now I can rest easy because we've planned ahead (and I can use that money to get great deals off season).

2) Start a Gift Giving envelope. We're big Dave Ramsey fans (Financial Peace University). He advocates an envelope system. Each pay period/month, put a set amount of money in your Gift Giving Envelope. When you get a bonus or extra money, add to your envelope. This will help you from over spending on your Gifts.

3) Start a Gift Reserve or Stockpile. When you find great deals at rock bottom prices that will make perfect gifts, and you already have the money set aside, buy it! Create a gift box or bag in a closet, under the bed, etc... for all these gifts. Then you can go "shopping" from your own stockpile while saving time, money AND gas.

4) Don't shop last minute. You'll spend more money than you had intended.

Giving is so much fun. Saving money while you're doing it is even better. Try thinking outside the box. Shop off season. Watch for sales. And most importantly, stay posted to Your Retail Helper for all the newest retail deals.