For some of us (myself included), the holidays can be a particularly difficult time to stick to a budget. Even if you are a skilled budgeting maven, you can suddenly find your numbers off by $10, $50 or even a $100.
And you might not be sure where that money went. The holidays are a primetime for conscious spending to fall by the wayside.
You’ve made a list, checked it twice and found everything from the awesome new Wii game little Bobby wanted to whatever the current equivalent of a Tickle-Me-Elmo is for little Suzy. You knew how much both were going to cost, but when you get home, you spent $25 more than you meant to.
A key culprit here? Stocking stuffers.
The money spent on stocking stuffers is still money. It still needs to be budgeted. There are two different problems that can happen with stocking stuffers.
You may look at the size of a Wii game and toss it into that stocking; it can fit after all, right? But it’s also a $30 stocking stuffer now. And stocking stuffers tend to be small purchases most of us just write off.
Say you took a different route and hit up the Dollar Tree or the One Spot in Target for most of your stocking stuffers. That’s still probably going to come out to $10 to $15 a kid. Did you budget for that?
Stress levels can run high while shopping too, causing inattention. There are a few folks out there who thrive on the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping. There are a few more who are completely indifferent to it. The majority of us probably find it pretty darn stressful. From the difficulty finding a parking to hunting for a free shopping cart to the claustrophobia of all those shoppers crammed in tiny alley ways.
This kind of stress can make you throw your budget out the door. You just want to get this done as fast as possible and get out of there. Coupons. Cost comparison. Considering going to another store. All of those frugal strategies suddenly become too much.
Additionally, this kind of stress can make you feel like you need a reward. Before you know it, a sweater, a CD or a scented candle goes into the cart. And there’s another $40 on your tab.
You may even be able to keep that spending to a minimal level and only splurge on a candy bar and a cup of coffee. That’s still $5 to $7 a trip. How many trips out are you going to make this holiday season that include them?
Listen, there’s nothing wrong with coffee, candy, expensive stocking stuffers or even relaxation candles. As long as you are aware you’re buying them and they fit into your budget. Maybe they fit under your usual coffee spending. Or maybe you know holiday shopping just requires a large peppermint mocha and you’re going to head out four times to get holiday gifts and so you’ve tacked an extra $20 into your holiday budget as shopping sanity money for yourself. As long as you’re prepared for it, your budget can handle it.
Just don’t get caught mindlessly grabbing! Once a stocking is stuffed, it’s stuffed. You might keep finding adorable things for your little girl or even awesome stuff your teenage son would love (and is it just me or is that is a hard age group to buy for?), but if their stocking is stuffed, they don’t need it. Put it down. They’ll never know.
It’s so easy to start to go into holiday overload and with more than just stockings. Your house may be completely decorated and you’re still bringing home holiday tchotchkes. You may have more baked goods than you’ll ever eat, but you’re still buying more baking supplies. There is just something about this time of year that inspires us to buy more than necessary.
Figure out what limits work for you in advance and then stick with them. After all, the main parts of the holidays aren’t about consumerism but time with family and friends, celebrating whatever your religion may be, and cookies. Let’s not forget the cookies.
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Tips for Conscious Holiday Spending originally appeared on usnews.com
