Your Guide to Christmas Spending

Every year, people spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on Christmas shopping, traveling to the relatives'', and gifts for friends and family. If you're like most Christmas spenders, you want to cut down on your holiday spending without sacrificing your holiday experience. Here is YOUR Guide to saving big bucks this holiday season:

When Traveling: With ever-rising gas prices and more people traveling, transportation costs are soaring. Airline tickets normally cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, especially during this busy time of year. If you're into saving a LOT of money on your transportation costs, consider riding the bus to your destination. Companies like Greyhound and Megabus offer amazing deals: Megabus offers trips from as little as $1. Anybody can afford a dollar, especially when comparing it to the rising flight costs. If the bus isn't your thing, connect with a travel site such as Expedia.com or Yahoo!Travel, and you'll have access to some great travel discounts.

When Buying Presents: When you're shopping for presents for friends, family, and associates, you can end up spending way more than you ever intended. Follow these 3 shopping tips to prevent yourself from over-spending:

1. Shop only in person and only in cash: Shopping online and paying with credit cards makes it easy to spend huge amounts without ever ealizing how much money is leaving your pocket. By shopping at a real store with cash, you'll be much more conscious of every penny you spend, resulting in fewer gift expenses.
2. Make a Shopping List and Check it Twice: Before shopping, make a list of everyone on your gift list, and next to their name put the maximum amount you want to spend on them. This way, as you're walking through the mall, you'll be able to easily budget and keep your shopping organized.
3. Keep Track of Rebates: Every holiday season, there are tons of sales that offer impressive mail-in and online rebates. By keeping track of these rebates and making sure you turn them in before they expire, you'll get your full money's worth. By simply keeping an Excel sheet on your rebates, you can save a huge amount of money on your holiday shopping.

When Cooking: The expenses associated with cooking for friends and family during the holiday season can quickly add up. To save money on food expenses, plan your meals before you buy groceries so you know exactly what ingredients you need. Also, by buying in bulk at places like Costco and Sam's, you can get great deals on the groceries you use most. For fine wines and other beverages, check out your local Beverages and More, commonly known as BevMo.

When Having Fun: Holiday fun can get expensive: from going out to dinner with visiting friends and family to going to Christmas shows and events, you'll be spending a lot. Here are a few holiday activities that cost little or nothing yet still are extremely enjoyable: Christmas caroling with friends, window shopping in beautifully decorated holiday malls, Ice-skating at the local pond, competitive board games like Monopoly and Cranium, and volunteering with friends and family at the local homeless shelter are just a few ideas.

Follow this Christmas Spending Guide and I guarantee you'll save money this holiday season. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!