Looking for ways to survive the holidays in Montreal without diving deeper into your pocket? Holiday gift giving doesn’t have to force you to spend beyond your means, as long as you plan ahead and stick to your budget. Here are six ways to budget for holiday shopping, so you don’t have to feel a ton of stress and regret when you see your next bank statement.
Start Saving
Consider sacrificing a few nights out to put money aside to spend on holiday shopping. We know this can be tricky as Montreal has a vibrant nightlife with plenty to do, but sometimes you need to make some sacrifices in order to set yourself up for future purchases. You can budget for holiday shopping a lot easier when you have more wiggle room to spend.
Determine The Amount You Can Spend
Before you enter into shopping mode, first you need to go through your priority expenses like your bills, so you can determine a realistic amount of what you can spend in total on holiday shopping. Montreal hosts plenty of options for gift shopping on a budget, so make sure you do your research before heading out.
Determine Amount For Each Person
Write out a list of all the people you need to buy for – parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, BFFs – and divide up your total allotted amount among each individual for what you’re willing to spend. These amounts can’t be increased once you head out to go shopping.
Do Some Online Searching
Online shopping is so handy for finding great deals, taking advantage of free delivery, and of course price checking without having to enter a mall. So carve out an evening to begin your search early so you can at least get some ideas of what you will buy for each person.
Don’t Wait Until Last Minute
If you have a chronic bad habit of being a last minute shopper, you can kiss your budget goodbye. Preparation and time are the keys to sticking with this, so plan ahead and get a head start so that you won’t be frustrated and stressed out last minute, eager to grab anything to just get through the chaos of those busy malls throughout Montreal.
Review Your Account Statements
An easy way for your budget to slip out of control is to ignore the amount of money that’s been spent. So stay on top of it by facing the music and reviewing your account statements on a regular basis. Try to avoid using a credit card and use cash if possible. That way you can really be aware of how much you have left without over dipping.
Use these simple ways to budget for your holiday shopping this year. Avoid using credit cards, price check online, make a plan for spending for each individual and most importantly, keep reviewing your account statements to keep in line with your budget so that you don’t overdo it.
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