The Real Estate Browser Volume 8, Issue 17 | Page 26

26 — Say you saw it in The Real Estate Browser of Lynchburg — Volume 8 Number 17
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Tips to Reduce Holiday Spending,
Without Cutting Back on Cheer
reason to enter
the new year in
bad financial
standing if you
do some smart
planning and
spend wisely.
Here are some
great ways to
reduce your sea-
sonal spending,
without cutting
back on the
cheer.
(StatePoint) Amid the merriment
of the holiday season is a hard real-
ity -- nearly six in 10 Americans don’t
have enough savings to afford an unex-
pected expense like a $500 car repair
or $1000 emergency room bill, accord-
ing to a Bank survey conducted by
Princeton Survey Research Associations
International. • Know your
limit. Figure
out how much
you can spend on gifts, decorations, etc.
Divide the total amount into a per-gift
limit. If it doesn’t add up, cut back the
gift list or consider making a baked item
or other homemade gift, or giving a gift
certificate for a service you might pro-
vide, such as babysitting, car washing or
house cleaning.
While 83 percent of U.S. consumers
are expected to spend $1,189 this holi-
day season, an amount equal to or more
than they spent last year, there is no • Shop wisely. Watch for special sale
days and coupons. Many online retail
sites offer free shipping, discounts and
other promotions during the holiday