Surviving The
Holiday Crunch
Dr. Teresa R. Martin, Esq.
The holidays are supposed to be a wonderful time for you and your family, though sometimes the
stresses leading up the holidays make it seem like quite the opposite. Remember that even in poor
economic times there are ways to enjoy yourself and survive the holiday crunch.
Save Throughout the
Year.
Most people let the holidays creep up on
them. All of a sudden they realize it's two
weeks before Thanksgiving and they need
to begin preparing. You can't pull money out
of nowhere and you should resist the urge
to put all of your purchases on credit. If
you've done this in the past, you know first
hand that you'll still be paying off last year's
gifts for years to come!
Automatically withdraw a small amount of money from each paycheck that goes toward your
Christmas savings. Those small amounts add
up to something big at the end of the year.
Shop Early.
When you shop early you can avoid the stress of the
crowds and the urgency of having to make decisions
quickly. Start by making a list of gift ideas for everyone.
This way, as you see the items throughout the year, you
can pick them up. You may even find that they're
cheaper during off-peak times than during the holiday
rush.