Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Sunday, November 26, 2006
12 Tips for the Holidays
Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa this year, make sure you keep track of your holiday spending to avoid a New Year full of debt. TrueCredit has 12 festive tips for keeping your finances healthy while creating holiday cheer:
- Create a holiday budget that includes gift buying,
decorating and entertaining expenses. Make sure the
list is within your budget and stick to it!
- Don't blow your balances. Check your
Debt Analysis online before you start to shop to see how much you can really afford to charge. If your debt reaches more than 50% of your available credit, you could see your
Credit Score drop in January.
- Keep an eye out for identity theft during the
holidays. Sign up for
Credit Alerts that will swiftly notify you if a Grinch has stolen your personal information.
- Get creative with your decorations instead of
spending a fortune. Paper snowflakes, pop-corn chains
and homemade wreaths are just as festive as
expensive store-bought decorations.
- Shop early. Spacing your purchases over a few
paychecks will help you watch your budget and reduce
the amount you charge.
- Purchase and send gifts that need to be mailed early
to avoid expensive one or two-day shipping rates.
- Consider sending holiday postcards instead of letters.
You can make the cards yourself and save on postage.
- Make a point of checking your receipts to avoid any
faulty charges. During the frenzy of holiday shopping,
you can easily be overcharged for a purchase.
- Take advantage of free gift-wrapping services. Every
little bit counts!
- Visit the ATM before your shopping trip and withdraw
the budgeted amount. Paying with cash will keep you on track.
- Avoid the "buy now, pay later" philosophy. Before
you pull out your credit cards, gently remind yourself,
"If I can't afford to pay for it with cash, I really can't
afford it."
- If you really want to give, but don't have the money,
try creating less expensive homemade gifts such as jam,
cookies or a creative gift basket.
Toys from the movie "Cars"
I've been linking for a link like this all day. If you've got kids that like the movie "Cars" (like me), you'll want to check this out.Click here to search KB Toys for stuff from the movie "Cars".
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