Please don’t go into debt because of other people’s expectations! There are plenty of creative gifts you can give that are inexpensive or don’t cost a dime. It’s perfectly fine to spend less on Christmas some years, and more on others. Your spending should align with your priorities. This year, we’re planning a very simple Christmas season because most of our extra money is currently going toward building our house. But this Christmas, we’re hoping to spend closer to half of that amount! Each family will have their own priorities for their Christmas fund-a fresh Christmas tree, giving to those in need, home decor, gifts, Christmas cards, fun activities, special food, parties, etc.įor the past few years, our Christmas budget has been between $600-$750, and that total includes most of the items on that list. Then, estimate how much you want to spend on each item. Sit down and make a list of your typical Christmas expenses. Unless you’ve kept good records of how much you’ve spent on Christmas related purchases in past years, it’s difficult to come up with an accurate number. Now, you’ll need to figure out how much money you want to save for Christmas. How Much Money Should You Save for Christmas? During the months you have higher expenses or less income, you can’t put as much into your Christmas fund, and vice versa.īy the time the holidays arrive, you’ll be ready! You won’t be scrambling to find a few extra dollars here and there-and you won’t need to max out any credit cards! Starting earlier in the year allows you to have more flexibility. If you try to start saving for Christmas in October-and also have a car repair and an unexpected dental bill in the same month-you’ll have a harder time finding the extra cash. It’s a smaller amount out of your paycheck every month, which makes cash flowing Christmas feel more manageable. When you start saving for Christmas in January, you have the option to save for Christmas little by little. Starting in January, we try to set aside a predetermined amount each month so that Christmas doesn’t sneak up on us.īut really… how could it? Christmas comes at the same time every year! 1. Our budget in YNAB has a line item specifically for Christmas savings. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll also gain access to all of the other freebies in my resource library!Ĭash flowing Christmas isn’t rocket science, but it does take intentionality, especially if you’re on a tight budget. The Christmas Savings Plan is a totally free printable, found on pages 4-5 of The Merry Little Christmas Planner, which you can download from my Free Resource Library! I’ve also included an example sheet in the PDF to help you get started! The Christmas Savings Plan is a completely customizable savings tracker, so you can write in exactly how much money you want to save-and how much time you have left. It’s a super easy way to track your Christmas savings! Before we talk about how you can cash flow Christmas, I want to give you a copy of the Christmas Savings Plan I created.
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