Christmas Budget Check Up: Use Cash.

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Note ~ I've had several readers request our family's budget spreadsheet, and promise that my husband is working on getting a copy of that up for you guys. Watch for it over the next week!

A few weeks ago, I met my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law for our annual birthday shopping day. As it worked out, my sister-in-law had just cash to spend (normally she uses a debit card or credit card that she pays off monthly.) When we were talking a few days after shopping, she mentioned to me “you know, it really was a lot harder to spend that cash than it is just to hand over my card.

Ain't that the truth?

We do about 90% of my Christmas shopping online so we do use a debit card, but it is still oh-so-easy to spend too much. If you're shopping online often this Christmas season, I encourage you to come up with a way to manage how much you're spending. Here are a few tips that might help:

• Keep a very detailed list of what you've purchased. If you're like me and shop frequently from Amazon, log in to your account and see exactly what you've purchased so you have a detailed amount of what you've spent and what gifts are marked off your list.
• At the very minimum, keep a simple notebook near your computer and write down every item you purchase while you shop.
• Use your debit card instead of credit card for online purchases.
• Take advantage of Swagbucks during the Holiday season and be sure to use those points for free “money” during the Holidays (I just got a $50 Amazon Gift card thanks to Swagbucks credit this week!)

How's your Christmas shopping (and budgeting . . . ) going? There have been so many deals racing around here and I struggle (more than y'all will ever know!) hoping to encourage you to pinch those pennies but still get some fantastic prices on items you're purchasing for Christmas this year. Don't forget that even though there are zillions of incredible bargains out there this time of year you don't have to buy them (I know it's hard!) Instead though, determine exactly what you want to purchase for each person on your list, and stick to your financial goals. (You can do this ~ I know you can!!!!)