Holiday Blog

Holiday Blog

Provided by Kim Gaxiola

 Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

This is such a wonderful time to spend with family and friends. I hope you enjoy the season. I love to bring out my holiday TechGirl Financial logo at this time of year to create a sense of joy for the season. I’m aware however it can be stressful to some because of a limited budget. Here are some of the things I do to make sure I’m on top of my spending:

Check my credit card and bank app almost daily to see how much I’ve spent during the billing cycle.
Before I start shopping I set an amount of money I want to spend in total. Then divide it up between the recipients. On my list I add a line item for charity and myself! Stick as close to the budget as possible.
Online shopping can help a lot in sticking to a budget if you do searches within price ranges you want to spend.
Charity giving – if you intend on giving a substantial amount – consider giving appreciated stock. As an individual taxpayer, – you pay taxes on capital gains. However 501c3 non-profits do not pay taxes and can sell the stock without the tax hit. This will make your money stretch a little bit farther.
There are holiday shopping apps – take a look at them – they can also be helpful in keeping you to a budget.