How to Prevent Your Holiday Spending From Going Out of Control

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I am not an extravagant. I keep a close eye on my spendings. But there comes a time in the year when I want to splurge. We all do. Festivals are a great excuse for that! As usual, this year I was out for shopping with a long list. Old habits die hard and having a list is a much while shopping. I went 7 times to shop for Diwali. Yes, 7!

It was all good the first time. I bought many things - all useful and I didn’t care for the price. On the second day, I bought many things I liked, some unnecessary and some ‘new in the market’ - oh, I must try these! It was only after my 3rd Diwali haul, I realized I was piling bags in my bedroom and I might not use them all. It shook me as I am that ‘I stick to the list’ type of girl. So, where was I wrong? I took my list to have a close look and here’s what I found out -

Set a Budget

I had a list but I had no budget. Even with splurging we need a budget. We shouldn’t max-out our credit cards. And we shouldn’t exhaust our money on unnecessary items. After a careful analysis, I set a budget for everything. Everything, including spontaneous purchases. It’s important to have a budget on holidays. Allocate money for gifts, home decor, food, parties, and also for festive indulgences. Don’t let the pressure of staying within the budget takes away the fun.


Comments

  1. Lady FiNovember 22, 2016 at 12:11 AM

    I've never been a make-lists kind of person, but I do try and keep an eye on what I buy - especially during Christmas when it's too easy to overspend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saru SinghalNovember 22, 2016 at 12:59 PM

      That's good. As long as someone knows how to keep a tab on them, means are irrelevant.

      Delete
  2. ekta khetanNovember 22, 2016 at 7:46 AM

    I end up spending additional and will definitely read this.

    BTW, congrats on your new finance blog! :*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saru SinghalNovember 22, 2016 at 1:01 PM

      It's not my blog, I contribute there.

      Thanks for reading, Ekta!

      Delete
  3. Harish P INovember 22, 2016 at 11:02 AM

    Makes Sense. Checked the money view blog.

    ReplyDelete
  4. VaisakhiNovember 23, 2016 at 3:57 AM

    Haha budget comes when I can fix a list...I am so bad at shopping that I dont do it most of the time and when I do I dont keep a track of the budget. Deciding to not shop at all during this week - let's see how it goes *hiding my face*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saru SinghalDecember 5, 2016 at 9:42 AM

      Oh! Hope the resolutions worked for you, Vaisakhi!

      Delete
  5. DipanwitaNovember 23, 2016 at 4:57 AM

    I really need to read this. I do not think twice before spending on unnecessary stuff

    ReplyDelete
  6. Rahul BhatiaNovember 25, 2016 at 3:00 AM

    Useful tips, Saru

    ReplyDelete
  7. Writefully YoursNovember 26, 2016 at 1:53 AM

    Ah! I wish I had read this 2 days ago!!! Totally went all guns blazing to malls on Black Friday!!! :D

    ReplyDelete

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