Staying On Track Financially This Holiday Season | Ep. 279

• Tiffany explains that since holidays happen every year, you can budget for them all year long instead of scrambling in November and December.

If you start in November, that means you have $250 a month you need to come up with... If you spread that out over 12 months, we have $41 and let's just round it to 67 cents.

• She recommends building holiday spending into your regular annual budget to avoid credit card debt.

• Choose an overall dollar amount you want to spend, then write down everyone on your gift list and prioritize them.

• Spend more on close family and friends, less on acquaintances. This helps stretch your budget without missing anyone.

• Tiffany warns that Black Friday and Cyber Monday often feature inflated prices marked down rather than genuine deals.

• She recommends looking for sales starting around November 1st when retailers make their final push on quality items.

I remember one year I just made soap for everybody because I love making soap and everybody loves my soap.

• Tiffany emphasizes that recipients appreciated the time and effort more than factory-made items.

• She also recommends planning experiences like trips or stay-at-home movie nights instead of material gifts, noting her kids still talk about trips from 2019 and 2021.

• Tiffany shops at the dollar store for wrapping supplies or suggests using brown parcel paper with colorful ribbons for a nostalgic look.

I remember one year... I walked out with some headphones. That's it. And I didn't even need the headphones. But I was like, I done came out two, three o'clock in the morning. I'm leaving with something.

• She stresses sticking to your list to avoid unnecessary purchases.

• If using credit, only charge what you can pay off immediately to avoid January debt.

You never want to use credit as income because it really gets you into a hole.

• Tiffany reminds listeners that holidays are about quality time with loved ones, not who spends the most money. Kids remember the time spent together more than the gifts.