Get Your Finances Ready for the Holiday Season

With Black Friday deals just around a month away, it is time to start thinking about holiday shopping, and what you will be purchasing for all of the loved ones in your life! Holiday shopping can be very overwhelming, especially from a financial perspective, which is why it is important that you have a solid financial plan going into it. Whether you plan to shop in stores, or take your holiday shopping fully online this year, here are a few tips on how you can financially prepare:

• Know how much you have to spend. First thing is first, it is important to check exactly how much money you have available for holiday spending. It helps to set aside some money that you know will be dedicated to gifts for the holidays so that you are fully prepared. Once you have a dollar amount, you can start brainstorming your gift ideas!
• Think about your credit card rewards. Many credit cards offer awesome rewards, whether it is rewards to a specific store or cash back. Consider the credit card rewards that you currently have saved up, or that you will get from holiday spending, so you can utilize them effectively.
• Save extra money where you can. You want to avoid going into holiday credit card debt as much as possible, as this is something that almost everyone experiences from year to year. To do this, think about ways that you can save money elsewhere, such as skipping takeout for a few weeks.