Time... How it Flies....

Can you believe it!!!
As a quasi single income family we really have to plan ahead for Christmas.  What am I doing to help cushion the blow?  I'm so glad you asked!  I play a game with myself.  This year I have really been taking advantage of the Target gift card promotions.  I do have my rules, though.  I really only buy it IF it is something that I will use and something that I like.  Otherwise, it's counter productive, in my opinion.  Why spend money needlessly?  I also have the rule that I must have coupons to help bring the cost down.  I refuse to pay full price for something, even if I am getting $5.00 or $10.00 back in a gift card.  Thus far I have $70.00 saved up in Target gift cards.  (I had more, but I used them to pay for the Easter basket!) I have (3) $10.00 Wal-mart gift cards I am expecting from rebates any day now, and I have my special little "overage" Wal-mart gift card that has over $50.00 on it so far.   "Overage"?  What is that, you ask?   Oh honey, let me tell you.  I am not good with keeping track of small change and small bills.  They seem to spend oh too easily.  So... what I do is make sure I have almost $10.00 in overages (that is the minimum you can put on a gift card, so they say) and put it on my handy dandy gift card.  Granted, I am typically having to train the cashier on how to add funds to an existing gift card, but I won't even go there today. 

Another avenue I use is Swagbucks.  I have over $40.00 in  Amazon gift cards I earned with Swagbucks. Gotta love free money!!

If I see something that I feel will be a good gift for Christmas, I will buy it and put it away... and hope that I can remember where I put it!  Yeah, I've been known to find things 3 years later.  The older I get, the more I forget!!  Hmm,  maybe I should reconsider that little plan of action...

So, what do you do to plan for Christmas?