Broke around the holidays?

Question

I see a lot of people say this: "I am so broke so I can't even get gifts this year for my kids"
Why not save up throughout the year for the holidays.. or start early enough.. a little here and a little there... so you won't have this problem come December? It's as simple as saving $20 a paycheck to have enough at Christmas to make your kids happy and bring them a little joy at Christmastime. I know what you will say.. "Christmas is more than just gifts" which is true and I agree.. but then kids also believe that Santa will bring something if they are nice and not naughty throughout the year, right? Happy Holidays!

I hope I am not offending anyone.. yes, I guess it is advice to some of the people who come on yahoo answers begging for us to help them with gifts for their kids. Hardships that are out of our control do happen, I agree.. but I also think that there are a lot of people who just don't think about it.

Answer 1

We always end up broke around the holidays but it really doesn't affect us. I shop clearance racks all year long so by October I usually have bought almost all the gifts I need to get. My husbands work hours always get cut back in December so I make sure my last shopping day is Black Friday. It is nicer that way also. In Dec we have time to focus on wrapping and decorating instead of straining to buy things. I agree with you....PLAN AHEAD!

Answer 2

Yup!

It's a matter of financial planning, and unfortunately most people don't actually do that any more. The old "Christmas club" accounts were too expensive for banks to keep up with (as a banker, I promise that's the truth-- and the paperwork nightmare of accounts that keep closing on their own!!!), and so people just stopped.

The best thing to do is toss 10 bucks a week into an account all year round (or whatever you want to have as your Christmas budget) and then draw on that when you want to buy presents.

The key here, though, you see, is WILLPOWER... and people just dont' seem to have the patience any more.

By the way, this is what works for people's bills, holidays, etc., and I recommend it all the time... but... people just don't seem to care to do that. It's a matter of priorities-- Christmas comes EVERY year. Put the money aside early and no surprises!

Answer 3

I start buying January whenever I have a little extra cash. Unfortunately, that isn't very often. We contribute to a sort of food fund all year. We pay a certain amount every month and then at the beginning of December we're shipped what we ordered (people in Canada can look it up... www.chriscohampers.com) That gives us the money we would normally spend on groceries, for gifts. We also have 2 birthday's that fall in December.

Well let's just say our car has impeccable timing. The money we would normally spend on gifts, will be for fixing the car instead. Sometimes you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

Answer 4

I stick money away every month and shop for Christmas gifts all year long, too. Some of the money I sock away is for the extra ingredients for the food and goodies I like to make over the holidays. All those nuts and chocolate can be expensive! I refuse to put Christmas stuff on credit and get huge bills later, and I'd never be able to squeeze out enough money from our regular income for all the things I want to get for the holidays if I waited until November!

Answer 5

Sometimes life happens when you least expect it.
One year my brother and his wife had lots of gifts for the kids that were 5 and 7 but he got out of the navy, sold the house and moved across country in the fall. He was in the middle of buying new house, finding a new job and getting settled. The moving van misplaced the load with the presents and half the furniture so he had to get by with no money. The 5 year old got a free kitten and I don't know if they got the 7 year old anything. There were grandparents and aunts around so the kids would get something but I shipped all mine to the old house and moved across country getting here Christmas day.

Answer 6

those unlucky females that have much less costly boyfriends do get dumped plenty around the vacations so they don't could purchase presents! i truly had a guy tell me that he in no way dates a woman for the period of February so he would not could purchase a Valentine's Day present. I in no way dated him for some reason, LOL!!!

Answer 7

because its easier said than done. Some people have hardship during the year and every penny counts. My husband lost his job and money is extremely tight. We didn't save anything extra because you dont think something like this will happen. He lost his job just before thanksgiving. So, now we need to figure out what we are going to do for christmas and presents for the family.

Answer 8

COME INTO THE LIGHT LADY, do you know how hard it is to save even 20.00 each pay, that money usually goes to feeding our children, it is very easy to say and almost impossible to do. We and I hope ALL will have a great Christmas regardless of the gifts one is able to purchase, but as you know the greatest gift is LOVE.

Answer 9

I agree maybe next year more people will start doing this!!

Answer 10

your right and i want to do that this next year i hate not being able to do some serious shopping at least once a year.
thanks