Are you holiday ready? How to be financially prepared for Christmas and New Years

PART ONE

Introduction

Are you excited about the holidays? Christmas and New Year are almost upon us, which can be quite daunting for those who are financially struggling. If you are unsure about how to manage money for your holiday, AA Finance Solutions is here with some tips to help you save and still have a good time.

Tips and tricks

First off – live within your means. Choose a nice and comfortable hotel, but one that is affordable, rather than the five-star mansion, if your budget is tight this year. After all, you’ll be spending most of your time out and about anyway.

Secondly, it’s road trip time. Rather than flying, if you’re travelling around WA or going interstate, how about a road trip? If you go on a road trip and camp, rather than flying and staying in hotels, you’re guaranteed to save some money and create memorable experiences with your family.

The next tip is to make a budget per person, rather than just an overall one. Some family members eat more than others, might require different tickets for activities, or might require particular items that need to be bought more often. These things need to be taken into account when planning a budget.

On this note, have a threshold to how much money you will spend while away. When on holiday, impulse buys can be incredibly tempting – but you may need to resist. Or at least, have a capped limit for these kinds of purchases.

Summary

• Travel within your state to save money on flights.
• Make a personalised budget for each family member or friend.
• Put a cap on your spending so you don’t have a ‘big holiday blowout’.

Conclusion

In conclusion, prior preparation makes the biggest difference when it comes to planning your holiday finances. Make sure you have worked out what you will be spending, and how you will be spending it, a few weeks in advance. If you have any questions or need further help and information, please reach out to the friendly team at AA Finance Solutions for support.