Holidays
Holiday Surviving Guide
If you are a member of a large family, have a holiday grab bag or draw names out
of a hat so everyone only has to buy one gift. These strategies will help you spend
less, save more, and still have a joyful holiday.
Give Cash Instead Of Buying
Gifts
It is appropriate to give cash to children,
but remember when they get older you will have to up the ante a little. In certain
situations it might also be okay to give senior citizens cash. Gift certificates
to drug stores, garden shops or grocery stores are great ideas as well.
Giving Tipping - rules of thumb to follow:
A tip is still a gift so wrap nicely and give with a smile.
- Babysitters and Cleaning People: One Week's Salary plus a small gift if you're so inclined.
- Hairdressers: Cost of one session.
- Apartment Building doorman: $30-$100 (depending on how luxurious your building is)
- Newspaper Carrier: $15-$25.
- Garbage Collector: $15-$20
Before you go shopping check your list and be prepared to only spend the amount
of money you allocated.
As you do your shopping write in the amount you spent on each person and figure
out the difference of the actual gift
and what you budgeted. If you spend less on
one person, you may allocate that money towards another gift, but if you exceed
the amount you wanted to spend, you should
then lessen the amount you are going
to spend on another individual.
