How to Budget for Birthdays During The Holidays

One thing that can really put a strain on a budget is when you have a child or other family member that has a birthday during the holidays. For the average person, getting gifts for Christmas is hard enough to add into a spending budget, let alone adding in a birthday and all that comes with it. This is always an area that I find challenging since my twins (YES TWO Birthdays) is on the 16th of this month! Plus I have a niece that has a birthday on the 21st of this month! Oh and my Mom’s birthday is this month as well! So yes, it’s a super busy month for our family and my budget!

Here are some tips to save you money when you have both to budget for:

• Take advantage of holiday sales for gifts. The one advantage of buying gifts this month rather than any other time of year is there are plenty of amazing sales.
• Decorate with the season’s festive offerings. This doesn’t mean you have to do only red and green, but you can pick from plain decorations being offered at a discount this time of year.
• If the birthday is really close to Christmas, try holding off on the party until just after Christmas. There are amazing sales on gift sets, decorations and even cards with after-Christmas sales.
• Shop late for gifts. The closer it gets to Christmas, the more sales that happen.
• Book a venue early to avoid not only having the venue booked up, but also to avoid having to pay a higher price.
• Keep the guest list small. This is a good practice for any party on a budget, but especially good when people will have their budgets already stretched for gifts.
• Use the season to find free activities in your area for fun things to do on birthdays and for parties. For instance, maybe you have a skating rink in your area that offers free skate days. Plan your party for this and save a lot.
• Make decorations yourself. Craft stores often offer deep discounts this time of year for holiday craft projects. Take advantage of these and create your own decorations.
• Make your own cake or cupcakes. This time of year, many bakeries are so booked up that they up thier prices. Make your own for huge savings on your cake and goodies.
• Skip having the party at a time when meals are most likely expected. Most people fill up on food this time of year, so a small affair with finger foods will be welcome, anyways.
• Create a budget that is separate from your holiday budget. A budget is a good idea no matter what time of year a birthday falls on, but with money being especially tight this time of year, it is a must.

What tips did you find helpful or plan to use during this crazy busy month??