I really love the holiday season. I love baking up a bunch of stuff and shoving it all down the throats of loved ones, decorating the house in gaudy garland, and visiting family and friends, and, of course, pie. You would think that all of this would be fulfilling and rejuvenating, but it usually isn't. I ended last year in a frenzy because I ended up spending too much money on gifts, parties, travel and I was totally stressed out on January 2nd because of my financial situation. I started the year feeling guilty about the way I mistreat money. In light of this I have been anxious about this year. So I have come up with several ways to avoid ruining my life again. Here they are, I'll share them with you. If you have ways that have helped you save, please chime in!

I'll begin with 3 basic rules that I stick to all year round:

Rule #1
Embrace the B-word
Budget, that is. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve always hated the word until recently, but I found that if you’re on one, you really do save money. On my recent trip to New York I made a budget a month before, and ended up needing more money than I thought. But once I got there I didn’t have to worry about how much money I was spending because I had already made room for it. To make things easier for you, I have uploaded a holiday budget template. Just click here!


Rule #2
Use Cash (if you don't balance your checkbook like a maniac)
Even though I do have debit cards I usually carry cash. I recommend it because then you can physically set aside money for certain things and keep track of how much is in – or out- of your wallet. Just try it if you’re like me and loathe balancing your check book.

Rule #3
Don't use credit. If you don’t have the money, don’t spend it. You’ll just end up paying more money later, and also fail to see the potential of the money you do have. ( I still struggle with the latter, but I don't use credit and I have no debt. )

Travel:
Bring a snack
- before you leave, pack a snack in a zip-loc bag, to avoid spending the prices in airports, or on the road avoiding fast food stops. (I recommend trail mixes and fruits, but this blog is not about staying healthy during the season, there's a great article in blueprint magazine about that if you're interested)
- Also grab bottled water.
- If you’re driving, like I am, this will also help save time. If you stop for the washroom you can stop at rest areas instead of getting off of the highway.

Download a Ticket Alert
-like Ding! On Southwest that alerts you to cheap tickets to your destination.

Shop around
-not only for airline tickets, but for gas prices as well. Try a site like gasbuddy.com to find the best prices on your route. (I will definitely be waiting until I get to Indiana to fill up this Thanksgiving.)

Gifts

Designate an amount to spend on each person on your list and stick to it.
-This can be easily done with the budget template that I made. But to make it really fun, come up with a random amount for each person on your list list, like $7.32, and don't go over it and don't spend any less than it. This will force you to be creative!

Make your gifts
-If you're feeling crafty there are great magazines and sites that give great ideas on items you can make that people will really appreciate. Here are a couple links, but if you grab any martha stewart holiday magazine you'll find ideas that aren't noodles on a necklace:

wikihow
blueprint

Give what you're good at
-If you love painting nails and you notice your Grandma Peggy's nails are looking a little rough, give her a manicure for Christmas. Or if you like to organize, wrap up a homemade gift certificate to reorganize your cousin's linen closet.


Give a rain check for an experiential gift
-Wrap up a promise to take your girlfriend out for a special evening. It can take some financial pressure off to spread the giving out a bit. For my last birthday a good friend promised to take me to an event that was about a month away. It gave me something to look forward to, and it was such a treat to make an actual memory with her.

Shop Around Online
Try a site like NextTag.com or Froogle to get the best deal. And go for the sites that offer free shipping!

Buy in Bulk
Cases of wine or chocolates cost much less this way and make really good gifts.

When making your list, check it twice... to see if you're on it.
If you're like me, you always get drawn in by the holiday sales, and buy yourself something during the holidays. Be safe and put yourself on the list. You deserve it anyway!

Other Stuff:

Send postcards instead of Christmas cards (less postage)

Potluck your parties.

Make Thanksgiving leftovers go a long way by checking out this site at foodnetwork.