It happens almost every year – you know what I’m talking about. You find out at the last minute that your niece is bringing her new boyfriend to the family Christmas gathering. Or your co-workers decided to draw names for gifts this year. Or you were invited to a friends’ house for a get together and you’re expected to bring a tray of food, dress up and oh by the way, bring a dirty Santa gift with you. Well, none of these things were expected and certainly weren’t in your budget!
Here are some ways to avoid / plan early for those unexpected holiday expenses. As they say, expect the unexpected!
Food expenses – plan your menu early for the get togethers you know about! Almost all grocery stores run sales on those popular holiday food items. When you have your grocery list early you can scour those sales ads and plan your shopping when the things you need are on sale. Don’t forget that grocery order pick-up is a great way to avoid impulse buying as well! Pick a couple of your favorite recipes and buy extra when it’s on sale. You’ll have extra for that unexpected dish to take to Sally’s last-minute party invitation.
Gifts – now we all know to make our list and budget early for the ones we know we are buying for. But what about the ones that come up last minute, like your niece’s boyfriend or a dirty Santa gift? One thing I like to do throughout the year is pick up small items on clearance. I find toys, small electronic items, and random doo dads on clearance all the time. Purchasing these items and stashing them throughout the year means you’re always prepared. Didn’t think ahead this year? You can always re-gift, make a special food item or even learn how to make a personal item from what you already have materials for!
Party outfits – If you’re like me you really don’t need to buy more clothes. Like ever. But sometimes it’s just nice to have something different, right? But let’s be honest…do you really need an ENTIRE new outfit? Sometimes an accessory can take an outfit you already have and make it look brand new! Think scarf, belt, necklace or sparkly panty hose! These accessories can be found (or borrowed from your BFF) at consignment or thrift stores at very cheap prices!
Gift wrapping/cards/stamps/decorating – Preplanning is key here again with adding these things into your budget if you know these are things you normally/want to do. Hobby Lobby is an excellent place to find new wrapping paper, cards and decorating on sale. Don’t forget to save some money to purchase these things after Christmas for next year at greatly reduced prices! Online photo printing companies are great for photo cards, just remember to shop early as sales on these usually end well before Christmas! You’re not going to find stamps on sale but why not start a tradition of hand delivering cards to friends and family as you see them at church, get togethers or when you’re driving by their home!
Do not procrastinate – Procrastinating will cause you to buy on impulse without looking for sales or thinking through an amount you want to spend! Procrastinating will add more stress on top of the unexpected problem at hand!
We can’t always foresee all of the unexpected things that can come up (hence why they are called unexpected) but we can always think ahead based on our past experiences of these last-minute disruptions.