With only a month til Christmas, and retail advertisements in full force, the difficulty in resisting the siren call of advertisers should not be understated.
However, if you’re considering taking out a new car loan or you’ve already committed to a car loan, you have to be really canny in order to resist the pressure. Once the credit car bill arrives in January, that’s quite often when the shock sets in – particularly when there isn’t enough in the savings account to meet repayments for the car.
Fortunately, Christmas doesn’t need to be cancelled, you just need to plan with a little more diligence. That means you can still spoil yourself and the rest of the family, but without blowing the budget. The key, of course, is planning. What’s that? Planning, planning, planning!
It’s not by coincidence then, that we bring to you this guide, one month before Christmas. Here are some ideas so you can stay on top of things
- Kris Kringle: A favourite in the office, but it’s also just as useful for the family to get in on as well. Ask everyone to draw names out of a hat to decide who buys a gift for who. Then, ask everyone to pick up a little gift for someone, setting a maximum dollar limit on the value of the gifts. It doesn’t need to go overboard, that’s for sure. Whether it be $10 or $20, you should still be able to pick something decent.
- Gift cards: Buy gift cards for your nearest and dearest, then hit the shops during the New Year and Boxing Day sales when the the sales are flowing and the returns have come back to the store. You can also provide gift vouchers or coupons for services that a loved one can take advantage of in the new year when the time suits them.
- Put your hands to good use: Do a little DIY and make gifts for family members. Things that work well in this category include food, ornaments and even health and beauty products like soaps. Otherwise, take a look at growables, which includes things like indoor plants and veggies. Not sure where to start? Hit Google and have a look for recipes or how-to guides. You can also make your own Christmas cards using a a bit of coloured paper, magazines, glitter, carboard and so forth. Now that’s getting creative.
It’s tough to resist the pressure and avoid buying into the massive overspending culture that dominates this time of year, every year. Often, it’s easy to be guilted into spending more than we can afford and blowing the budget. However, discipline is the order of the day. Maintain focus on what’s important and keep an eye to the long-term, remembering that every little bit of saving helps!
The Fincar team is here to help you with all your financing needs. Contact us today to help arrange your next car or equipment loan.