Budget Humbug

With wish list(s) in hand (or at least in progress), it is time to face the facts and create your Christmas budget. The holidays are about loved ones and about GIVING, right? However, if you do not create a budget to guide your purchases over the next few months, the holidays will be about giving to your credit card company for the next year!

The Countdown to Christmas Challenge for today is to prepare a budget to place in your handy holiday planner for quick reference throughout the holiday season. List your expenses to have an accurate record of all that is involved with the joyous, but often rather expensive, holiday. Refer to it often to keep you on track. Next year, when it is time to create another Christmas budget, you can look back on this budget as a guide for future spending.

Some categories to include in your Christmas budget are: Gifts, Decorations, Food/Drink, Holiday Entertainment, and Charitable Giving.

• List of Steps to Budgeting for the Holidays
• List of Ways to Curb Spending for the Holidays

* Available as a download in the 100 Days to Christmas 2012 eBook.  Members to ListPlanIt.com can print or download Holiday Budget Planner in Holidays & Occasions as a worksheet for your Christmas budget.

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