The Sewing Mom

I mentioned in my previous post that we are running out of funds to spend on holiday decorations, we do, after all, still have gifts to buy. Because we’re in a new home, we are having to purchase new lights and wreaths for our outdoor decorations. We’re also decorating more inside because the layout of our new home is so open that to make it feel like the holidays we have to also decorate the kitchen, eating nook, and entry hall in addition to the family room. It all flows together. Unfortunately, decorations don’t come cheap.

There is such a temptation to use [tag]credit cards[/tag] at this time of year. That’s good if you have the available credit and know that you can pay those bills off when they come due in January, but if you can’t, maybe you should think about not using them. If you are going to purchase on credit, it’s a good time to [tag]compare credit cards[/tag] and make good choices about which card to use. Will you earn cash back? If you’re not going to pay the full balance due, what is the interest rate?

Sometimes a credit card company will offer [tag]0% balance transfers[/tag] which can be worth looking in to. Check these offers carefully for transfer fees which can be a % of the amount you want to transfer. Also check for rate expiration dates, know when the rate will change so you’re not surprised with a higher payment down the road.

The biggest thing I recommend is creating a [tag]holiday budget[/tag] and sticking to it. Write a list of everyone you need to purchase a gift for, then assign a dollar amount to that gift. Know how much you can and will spend before you go out shopping. Remember, even if you find something on a spectacular sale, if you end up paying a high rate of interest over a long period of time it will cost you a lot more than what you paid initially.