How to Budget for Christmas While Unemployed
Christmas is the worst time of the year to be unemployed. Yet, companies often choose November and December to do most of their job cutting. If you have children, this can be a really tough time of the year. Not only do you need to make sure there is money for the bills and groceries, but you want to also give your children a wonderful Christmas. Thankfully, there are ways to budget for the holidays so that you can afford to do both.
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Instructions
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Talk to friends and family about setting a limit on gifts. Being unemployed means you won't be able to spend hundreds of dollars on gifts. It also means that receiving large gifts from friends and family may make you feel uncomfortable. A way around this situation is to ask your friends and family to set a limit on how much each person spends. For example, each person might spend $20 on each other person. This makes it much easier to budget how much you'll need to spend on gifts.
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Seek out community programs. If you're unable to buy toys for your children, consider that many companies offer an Angel Tree, and there's always Toys for Tots. You can find programs that will help you with your holiday meal, as well.
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Start shopping early. A great way to budget for Christmas is to start shopping before the holiday crunch. Each week you can plan to spend a certain amount. For example, you might spend $20 each week. This approach makes your holiday expenses seem less intimidating.
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Shop with stores that offer layaway. If there are items you can't afford to purchase with your weekly budget, consider layaway. With layaway, you can spend a bit of your weekly budget each week until the item is paid for. This is a much better solution than using credit cards.
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Skip unnecessary holiday purchases. Don't waste your money on decorations and cards. Instead, use decorations you have on hand from previous years and make homemade cards. You'll have more money for the important expenses.
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Tips & Warnings
Call your Social Services office for more information on community programs.
Be sure to sign up for community programs early. Avoid stores that charge a fee for using layaway.
