"Budget Wins"...

As I mentioned yesterday there are a few ways I know to increase your "Budget Wins" in your gift budget:

Shop off season: Since you will have an influx of "gift money" year round you can start buying before your events and holidays come up. For instance a great end of season sale in March could have some great discounts on sweaters, outerwear, sports equipment (hockey, snowboarding), or other fun gifts such as sleds. These items will likely cost you more in November/December, but your dollar will go much further when they are on sale earlier in the year. Note: Watch out for buying items that are too "trendy." They may be out of style by the time they are given thus making them undesirable.

Buy in bulk: Many stores (especially for children's clothing) offer discounts if you buy 2 or more of the same/similar items. When buying a gift, think ahead to who else you may need to shop for in the future. Could you pick up a great hoodie for a discount now, instead of overspending later on in the year and receive a discount.

Be creative: If you know events are coming up you can use your own talents to reduce the cost of gifts and increase your "wins." Knowing that a friend would be having a baby in 6 months I used some of the yarn I had lying around (from other discarded projects) and made a beautiful baby blanket. Coupled with a $7 plush toy, the gift was well received and I was $23 underbudget. Use whatever talents you have to come up with great gifts (services are always welcome) and save money.

Get to the point(s): Remember all of those points cards/frequent shopper cards you have filling up your wallet, check those balances. Many point programs can be used to buy merchandise or gift certificates that you can use to buy your gifts, without costing you a dime!! Don't worry if you don't have enough for the full amount, many programs will let you pay the difference in cash which can reduce what you would pay for an item, or get a much better gift for a much cheaper price.

These ideas should help to reduce your expenses on gifts within the year and avoid untimely events from ruining your cash flow. Take the extra money and put it on your debts or buy something you need. Plus, actively keeping tabs on your gift spending will make it easier to be more organized. Afterall, I am 75% done my Christmas shopping already.

Stats - no change - but my eBay auctions are up tomorrow -wish me luck!!!

Coming up tomorrow: My Husband, My "Client"