5 Ways to Save Money during the Holiday Season

Before you begin to do your holiday shopping or party-planning, it may help to create a strategy for your holiday festivities. CB&S Bank has gathered these 5 ways to help your holiday season go from frenzied to fabulous:

1. Determine a budget—A lot of times people will begin their Christmas shopping by creating a list of people to buy for... Begin this Christmas season by determining your budget before ever stepping foot into a store. You can determine your Christmas budget a few different ways: You could create an overall spending limit or you can create categories for your Christmas expenses and allot a certain amount to each category. However you choose to create your Christmas budget is completely up to you, however don't forget to add in the cost of all of the extras that come with the holiday season: Christmas cards, postage, holiday parties, wrapping supplies and even Christmas decorations are easy to overlook when creating your general Christmas budget.
2. Create your shopping list—Once you have your budget mapped out, it's time to create your shopping list. Think of everyone you want to buy for and try to create a dollar amount for each individual that coincides with your budget. Having a shopping list in tow is a must for saving money... if you do not create (and stick to) your shopping list it is much easier to go over budget.
3. Give from the heart—One way to save money at the holidays is to remember the reason for the season. Think of each individual when it's time to shop for them and think of things that they would truly appreciate. It may be as simple as babysitting so that the person can enjoy a date night. Other gift options that you can give that are homemade and will still show your gratitude is cookies, cakes, or other baked goods.
4. Utilize technology—If you're not keeping up with your spending then that Christmas budget that you worked so hard to create is doing you no good... Utilize technology like CB&S Bank's Internet Banking to easily manage your finances. Another digital service that CB&S Bank offers our customers is our Mobile Banking. Download the app today to be able to view your current account balances, view transaction history and even transfer money between accounts... All from your mobile device!
5. Begin saving early—This coming year try to start saving for the holiday season early. Saving a little throughout the year can make the holiday shopping season a lot less stressful and much more enjoyable. Try taking advantage of an account like CB&S Bank's Christmas Club Savings to help you have a worry-free holiday season!