As the end of the year approaches, many people are starting to prepare now for the expenses they will incur with the different parties held during the period and also situations that tend to consume a lot of money.
To celebrate Christmas, New Year, different Secret Santa celebrations – with friends and co-workers, among others -, end-of-year parties for the children and many other expenses such as trips and meetings typical of the summer climate and school holidays.
See Also: Christmas Nails – Learn how to do them step by step
To get an idea of how the arrival of December represents an increase in some expenses, the president of the Dsop Institute of Financial Education, Reinaldo Domingos, warned on his personal website that excessive spending (those that could be avoided) by a family can represent between 30% and 40% of monthly income.
Despite the warning, it is worth remembering that, currently, saving is not synonymous with wanting to. You can meet friends and family to celebrate the end of a season and fulfill your children’s wishes. However, to avoid complicating the accounts, you need to rethink which expenses are really necessary, so as not to fall into a trap and start the year in the red. With the aim of helping you prepare for the end of the year, we have selected some tips and guidelines for you to make the most of the festivities without extravagance. After all, no one wants to start next year on the wrong foot, right? Check out!
See Also: 5 Destinations to escape Brazil in the summer
Find out how to save on holiday shopping
Plan your expenses
To organize yourself in the best way, first put all your earnings on paper (fixed income and extra income, such as your 13th salary, bonuses and vacations). Then, list the expenses – from fixed to variable – and check if there are any financial issues. After doing all this planning, you will be able to know how much you can set aside for end-of-year expenses without going into debt.
Don’t buy on impulse and be original
Before you go shopping, it’s a good idea to make a list of everything you really need to purchase for the period. This avoids arriving at the store or supermarket and choosing a product on impulse or because you weren’t sure if it was really necessary. When you visit a shopping mall and fall in love with an outfit, think carefully about its importance and whether this piece will really be useful. The same reasoning applies when thinking about giving someone a gift.
See Also: 8 Tips for buying imported clothes online
Another very interesting and economical tip for giving gifts to friends is to be original. Often a souvenir that matches the profile of the recipient is more successful than something more extravagant. Therefore, a beautiful, printed photo can be quite a gift, as well as a souvenir of a film or series that the person loves. Identifying something that the person will like does not mean finding a gift that has a high price. Not to mention that making a personalized and well-thought-out gift makes all the difference and shows affection for the person who will receive this treat!
Have an incredible dinner without spending a lot
Organizing a nice Christmas or New Year dinner does not require huge expenses. Before going to the market or fair, make a list of everything you will need, thinking about the number of people who will participate in the party. This precaution prevents food waste and unnecessary purchases. When choosing fruits for dinner, choose national and seasonal ones, as they are cheaper and please all types of palates. Products such as apricots, hazelnuts and walnuts do not usually come in standardized packaging and, therefore, their prices vary greatly.
Products such as turkey and chester require a certain amount of care: at Christmas time, they suffer a price increase of between 8% and 15%. One tip is to replace them with pork shank or even roasted fish.
See Also: Saving money in the kitchen: find out how to do it
Haggle and look for discounts
Haggling is no shame! Even more so if you have cash on hand. Many stores usually give a 10% discount (or even more) to those who pay for everything on the spot. If it is not possible to pay the amount in one go, pay attention to the installment conditions and, in order not to lose control, record all purchases made and the number of installments that must be debited each month.
See Also: 50 makeup and hair care items for up to 30 reais
Many stores tend to offer great discounts at the end of the year, especially after Christmas. Depending on how rush you are to buy gifts, you can give gifts a little later. Another cool tip is to use clothing discount coupons when buying your outfit for the end of year parties or even as a gift for someone, this way you can save that little bit of money.
Use e abuse da internet
With the popularization of the internet in recent years, it has become much easier to search and compare prices. When the end of the year arrives, take advantage of this benefit that the virtual world offers even more. The prices of some products can vary by more than 20% from one store to another, so the ideal is to carry out a survey between different establishments so that the costs do not weigh heavily on your pocket.
See Also: 5 good reasons to buy from an online clothing store
Another benefit provided by the world wide web is the chance for you to really surprise and hit the nail on the head with the gift, even that secret friend at the company where you drew someone you’ve never spoken to. A quick check of your colleague’s profile on the social network can yield incredible clues to give the person the most unexpected and cool gift. Imagine getting it right by buying the latest release from the music band that your boss likes the most and that he was eagerly awaiting, as demonstrated in a post on the social network?
More: 10 things you need to know before buying women’s clothing online
The end of the year brings some expenses, but it is possible to plan your bills well and still please your dear friends without complicating your budget. Just get organized, identify the profile of the celebrations that will be held and who deserves that special gift to close the year in high spirits!
