Money Matters
Xstatic3333
member
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Discussion: Holiday Spending Traps
Every year, and this one has been no different, I consistently underbudget for Christmas. I'm good about budgeting for big gifts, and major expenses like the tree and cards, but forget all of the little things. This year, things I forgot to budget for included:
-Yankee Swap gifts ($10/each, but it adds up)
-Stamps for my Christmas cards
-Wine to serve my parents when they come over
-Stocking gifts for H
-Money to spend while visiting with OOT friends I can only see once or twice a year
Does anyone else have this problem? What are your biggest holiday spending traps? If you're awesome at holiday budgeting, what's your secret?
-Yankee Swap gifts ($10/each, but it adds up)
-Stamps for my Christmas cards
-Wine to serve my parents when they come over
-Stocking gifts for H
-Money to spend while visiting with OOT friends I can only see once or twice a year
Does anyone else have this problem? What are your biggest holiday spending traps? If you're awesome at holiday budgeting, what's your secret?
Re: Discussion: Holiday Spending Traps
I can't pinpoint what we forget, but there is always something. I think it has more to do with wanting (and being able) to be generous so we spend $50 each on our nephews & niece when they are too young to know how much we spend. We could get them each a $10 item and they would be just as happy.
I actually spend some of my fun money on a last minute gift for DH and some of our entertainment money to buy wine and groceries for Christmas dinner and NYE parties.
With all of the medical bills and funeral expenses this year I feel like we are just hemorrhaging money and our savings account is lower than I'd like (mainly because that is where our bathroom remodel fund is sitting). Fortunately DH should get a raise and/or bonus in mid February, I should be getting a raise in March (only 2-3%) and a tax refund in the spring. That should replenish everything and then some.
This year we sent out about 95 cards. Honestly it's a marketing/business thing for us at this point, so it's not something we can cheap out on. I'm just really bad at budgeting for the reality of it.
I'm pretty good about gifts because I keep a spreadsheet of recipients and really force myself to stick to the budget there.
I'm bad about budgeting for parties/booze, etc. Also, I spent like $40 on Christmas music this year that was not planned, but no regrets.
Not too major an expense, thankfully, but I always forget I buy more alcohol around the holidays. Crown Royal Apple for my apple ciders - $25. A couple more bottles of champagne than normal - $30.
This year, Costco had a Bordeaux wines special. 4 Bordeauxs in a pretty wood box for $39.99. Couldn't resist. I've only had one bottle so far. It was decent.
Costco also tempted me with a Beer Advent Calendar. I mean, a Beer Advent Calendar? Brilliant! You open the little door and each day there is a new and different German beer behind it. But at $59.99, I was a good girl and passed on it while making a
.
Cards are a splurge for me, but man I love doing them. I make a fun night out of addressing them and everything with Christmas movies and a Christmas beer/apple cider/whatever. I wish I could justify it as business networking like @hoffse but I totally can't.
So much easier than how I used to do it....
For me I never budget stocking items but budget all gift items.
Sometimes I find nice cards at the dollar store or at an after Christmas clearance. This year there was no discount luck. I had to buy them all at full price at the more expensive stores. I probably spent close to $30 just on 5 cards. But since I know all of these people really like receiving these cards and we don't do gifts I don't mind the splurge....it just really added up fast!