How to Keep Track of Holiday Spending

Video Transcript

"In this clip let's talk about making a holiday spending worksheet. In the earlier clips we were talking about brainstorming ideas for all of the different things that you need to budget for for Christmas. So I've jotted down some ideas for you and what I suggest or recommend is to, on a pad of paper once again, make yourself a graph. And as we want to make a worksheet you might have some of the headers. Then they might be holiday gifts, we'll get into that a little bit more in our next later segments, how to break that worksheet down for instance. But also some things that people forget about, holiday tips for let's say your newspaper deliverer, the mailperson, maybe the person who cuts your hair. Maybe you live in a, maybe you live somewhere where there's a door person to tip, so all of these holiday tips. And also incidentals like of course getting pictures of your kids, Christmas pictures, holiday cards, postage stamps to mail those holiday cards, wrapping supplies, bows, decorations. Then we get into of course the Christmas tree, a wreath, Christmas lights, Christmas ornaments. We lead into food as well. So you can see when we're budgeting there's so many things to think about. So when we're thinking about food, or course, holiday meals. What about those meals out while you're also doing your holiday shopping, we forget about that. Also baking treats and Christmas cookies, all of those things are just the extras that we don't normally have in our daily budget for the rest of the year. Any seasonal beverages that you might need for your holiday party. That might include New Years as well, you know, if you want to get out some champagne or some special wine for Christmas. We're almost there, a little bit more holiday spending. Also clothing, more so women than men, but some women also like to splurge on a new dress, depending if you're going to an office party, or a holiday get together. So any accessories included, like a purse or shoes like that too, if you can afford to do that. Traveling, a big one, a lot of people often forget about the extra traveling fees that they will incure as well, gas of course, but lodging and hotels. Airplane, if you're taking the train, any kind of transportation, a taxi, a bus, and finally entertainment as well. Going out to holiday seasonal shows, plays, movies and such. But hostess gifts and also anything you'll need for parties and get togethers. So as you're budgeting for that make yourself a list and with all of those different headers on it as you're beginning to budget."