Got Any Plans For Half-Christmas? Want Some?

 

Growing up, my family used to celebrate Christmas in July. Now that I’m paying for it, July is a reminder of the Christmas pinch. What can I do to get ahead of the holidays this year?

• Save, save, save. Then hit the gym. You know that the holidays involve equal parts spending and eating. Instead of bingeing and purging this year, start saving money early so you can earn interest on your savings instead of paying interest on your credit cards later. If you want a cheap activity while you save, go for a run. The weather’s nice, exercise is cheap and you know your willpower isn’t strong enough to resist that Halloween-candy-Thanksgiving-leftover-Christmas-dessert gauntlet that’s coming in the fall.
• Pay down your credit cards now. This is the flip side of saving. The more breathing room you have on your credit cards, the happier you’ll be. If your credit card debt is daunting, come see us about ways to turn all of those high-interest payments into one low-interest loan.
• Plan your trip now. You can use most travel sites as planners by setting alerts for the price you’re willing to pay for hotels, flights, and rental cars. Figure out the rough time you want to leave, set up your alerts and wait for the price you want. If you spend half an hour today, you can save a whole evening of grumbling, and maybe hundreds of dollars. Just make sure you understand the website’s cancellation policy ahead of time in case your plans change.