A warm welcome, my friends!
We’re officially in crunch time for the holiday season. 🎄
The wreaths are hung, lights are strung, and the smell of peppermint hasn’t left the air since Cyber Monday.
However, we all know that by Sunday, we’ll realize that we forgot that present for our coworker, or that we absolutely need olives for the charcuterie board we’re serving.
It’s tempting to throw cash at our problems, especially when we’re all busy with travel and guests, but the best holiday is the holiday you don’t go broke.
Below, we list tips & tricks to help you stick to your budget in this crazy season of life.
🔑 Stick to Your Budget: Our Favorite Hacks
📝 1. Make lists. Making lists is a great way to translate jumbled thoughts to organized paper. This will help save money because you won’t accidentally double purchase something, & if you have something in mind for a gift, you can get creative with what you have before buying supplies for it.
We recommend the following lists:
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Gift list. Write down everyone you want to give a gift to AND those you have gifts for. You’ll discover where you’re missing gifts and can make a plan (&budget!) for what’s remaining.
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Food list. Write down your grocery list for the upcoming week, and make sure to include the ingredients you will need to make any dishes you’re taking to holiday parties.
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Next step. Tally up the costs of both lists and compare the total with your budget. Make adjustments as needed, and if your budget says “heck no” then it’s time to get creative. A gift doesn’t always mean spending, a gift can be time given as well!
🎨 2. DIY Queen. DIY presents are a great way to save money using items you already have around your house. For example: I (Kim) already have paint supplies in my apartment, and I know my parents will love getting a meaningful painting from me, and they’ll appreciate that I saved money doing it.
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DIY not your thing? Try thrifting! The thrift store has so much, even new items, that would make great holiday presents. 🙂
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Consider if you need to give someone a gift. Do they buy gifts for you? Is it someone that you’re close to? You don’t have to contribute to the water cooler Secret Santa this year – spend time with those that matter in different, exciting ways.
⭐ 3. The Good Ol’ Recs. You know the drill on this one: it’s the tactics we use on the day-to-day to keep us on track. Keep cash on hand so that you can’t spend more than what you have. Keep your lists in your pocket or on your phone so that you can reference what you need (and don’t need!) quickly.
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Most importantly, create shopping hurdles.
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Remove your credit card from online websites so you can’t “one-click” purchase.
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Block the websites where you tend to impulse spend.
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Volunteer at an animal shelter or soup kitchen, so that you’re too occupied to go out and spend.
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Finally, consider changing your spending habits. Jen and Jill tackle impulse purchasing and values-based spending in their upcoming book, Buy What You Love Without Going Broke
Right now, it’s available for pre-order, and it has meaningful sections on how to handle the busiest seasons of life without going overboard in the spending arena! This time next year, you’ll be a holiday boss.
Bookworms, rejoice! On Tuesday, Jen & Jill dished on how to score books for free. Listen to: How to Get Free Books (Ep. 468) now.
We’re rolling into 2025 with our best foot forward for our finances & partnerships, and sometimes that means having a sit-down conversation with the person you love the most. Today’s episode: Get Your Partner on Board With Debt Payoff Goals (Ep. 469) gently guides us through how to do this in a respectful manner.
Listen wherever you get podcasts and let us know what you thought of the episode over on our latest Instagram post!
✅ Read: Our Numbered Days by Neil Hilborn. This book is a poignant & insightful take on poetry from the master of slam himself. Bonus: It’s short and will help you reach your Goodreads goal!
✅ Play: There’s a new card game in town! Disney fans will be excited to learn that the company recently came out with Lorcana, a game where you send popular Disney characters on “quests”. This game is perfect for older children or adults that love nostalgic movies and a bit of strategy!
✅ Do: Click “Learn More” below to check out Analytica Investor, a free newsletter that geeks out about the industries that make up the index funds in your retirement accounts (it’s a bad ad but it’s good stuff and you support the Friendletter at no cost to you!)**
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✅ Meal Prep: Breakfast is an important (&underrated, IMO) meal. Instead of skipping, try prepping this cinnamon porridge from BBC Good Food. With oats, yogurt, & various fruits, it’s a healthy and tasty way to get nutrition in the mornings! 🫕
Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s upcoming book is going to be your next favorite read.
Grab your pre-order gifts. Free With EVERY pre-order. 🥳
Catch ya on the flip,
Kim
⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.
