How To Track Your Spending During The Holidays

It can be hard to track your spending during the holiday season. For one, it’s a hectic time both for our work life and social life. Tight schedules and numerous daily errands make it hard to pay attention to the exact numbers.

For another, holidays have a way of tempting you into spending more than initially planned. It’s one long unstoppable advertising machine specifically designed to get you to buy more.

This is precisely why it’s important to implement some tactics that will help track your spending over the holidays. Read on to learn how you can track your spending during this season and how you can find financial help when needed through a payday cash advance.

How To Keep Your Spending In Check

1. Pre-Determine The Budget

Here’s the deal – it will do you little good to track your spending if you do nothing along the way to control it. The best money-control tool is a budget.

Have a set sum you intend to spend over the holidays and keep track of what’s going out of it separately from your non-holiday expenses.

2. Create A Separate Account

To make it easier for yourself to separate holiday spending from non-holiday spending, you can create an entirely separate account and transfer your holiday budget into it.

Internet banking will not only help to track your spending by providing constant visual data but help curb your temptation to overspend.

Spending, after all, is less fun if you constantly watch your money shrink. It will also curb the temptation of spending non-holiday funds when the holiday budget is tight if they’re kept in a separate account.

3. Create A Shopping List – And Stick To It!

Another great tool to track your spending is a set holiday shopping list, especially in conjunction with your budget.

You write out every line of expense you need to cover over the holidays and allocate a set amount of money to each. Once the expense is covered, you cross it out of the list and adjust the budget accordingly.

The trick is to stick to the list and not add new expense lines to it, once the old ones are crossed out. 

4. Try Using The Cash Envelope Method!

If electronic budgeting tools aren’t working for you – try cash! For some people, spending cash is harder than swiping a card.

Stuff a separate cash envelope with a set amount of money for each Holiday and stick to ONLY spending money from that envelope. Once it’s gone, you’re done.

Stuffing cash envelopes is also a great way to set up sinking funds for future holidays. If you’re uncomfortable carrying cash around, you can transfer it to that separate holiday account once the time comes.

5. Try To Reduce Your Spending By Taking Advantage Of Free Events

Not a tactic to track your spending, but one that will help with controlling it for sure.

There are always plenty of free, or almost-free, events taking place during the holidays. Instead of spending on expensive get-togethers, try convincing your loved ones to take advantage of what your area has to offer.

Concerts, holiday markets, exhibitions, etc. are bound to pop up from time to time. Just find what excites you the most and off you go!

Your Budget Isn’t Cutting It? Try Getting A Payday Cash Advance!

Even if you diligently track your spending, an unaccounted expense or two may still pop up and tear a hole through your budget.

Getting a payday cash advance could help you cover an urgent expense until you put more money together. A South Carolina payday loan is an accessible and fast loan option.

Here at Carolina Payday Loans, Inc., we welcome people of all credit types. The only things you need to qualify for our payday cash advance are a valid state-issued ID (or driver’s license) proving you’re over 18, your most recent pay stub as proof of income, and a blank check from an active checking account in your name.

Here’s How You Can Get A Payday Cash Advance

Once you’ve got all the necessary items, all you need to get started is to submit a filled-out emergency payday loan form.

The form will send your information to your chosen branch, and our loan representative will soon give you a call with further instructions.

Take the required items to the meeting they’ll arrange with our associate for you. The associate will need to examine your documents to determine if you qualify for the loan and the amount of your loan.

If they approve you, you’ll complete the process and get the money on the same day or the following business day.

Better Spending Habits For The Holidays 

If you track your spending, not only will you keep more money for the important things in life, but you’ll always know when you may need help. And a payday cash advance is a fast way to do so!

Our loan in-person process takes on average only around 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Once your agreement is signed, you’ll get the money either the same day or on the next bank business day at the very latest.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.