How to Save Money While Having Fun This Holiday Season

                                                                                    

Many friends and relatives are coming in town for the holidays or you may be traveling out of town to visit friends or relatives. This can be costly.  Avoid peer pressure from your friends and family to spend money or do things you don’t want to do.  If your friends have bad spending habits, it’s easier for you to spend money.  It can be difficult to resist the urge to join them. However, you can have fun without going broke.  

Resist the temptation to spend money that you don’t have. It is easy to forget about how much money you are spending when you are having fun.  When your monthly statement arrives you quickly forget about how much fun you had. Pay for everything with cash. It is easier to go over budget when paying with a debit card or credit card and increases your chances of identity theft. Here are some practical tips on how to save money during this last holiday season of the year.

Eating Out

1. Ask. Ask about specials and promotions.
2. Meals. Order a kid’s meal or share a meal with your children.
3. Desert. Avoid buying deserts or share one desert with others.
4. Drinks. Avoid buying alcohol at restaurants which is more expensive. Buy refillable drinks such as tea.
5. Discounts. Use coupons, gift certificate, gift cards or vouchers to save money at restaurants or other venues.
6. Compare. Search for coupons or discounts on sites like Groupon or Living Social.
7. Eat less. Don’t eat until you are full. Try to eat less and order two or three appetizers that cost less than the price of a meal
8. Appetizers. Eat an appetizer instead of an entree.
9. Lunch. It is cheaper to eat lunch than dinner. Many restaurants offer the same portions as dinner. Eat leftovers for dinner.
10. Share. Share a meal with a friend or relative.
11. Timing. Eat at the bar, some restaurants offer cheaper prices.  
12. Bulk. Eat at buffet restaurants that offer several food options for a low price.

Partying

1. Cruises. Bring bottled water, soda and alcohol with you and stash in your room.
2. Home. Drink at home before going out to reduce the number of drinks you buy.
3. Tab. Avoid starting a tab, this makes it easier to spend more money on drinks. Buy one drink at a time.
4. Bars. Avoid going to bars that require a cover charge.
5. Bulk. Buy a pitcher of wine or beer instead of individual glasses or shots. Avoid buying rounds.
6. House. Order the house wine or alcohol. Buy beer on tap to save money.
7. Location. Avoid sitting at the bar this makes it easier to continue to buy drinks.
8. Skip driving. Skip driving if the places you go have limited parking. Consider using a car sharing service like Uber, catch a cab or use public transportation.
9. Prep. Plan what you will do prior to going out, eat dinner, have drinks, play games, or visit people. Then plan what you will do when you are out.
10. Sign up. If you need to be added to a guest list register even if they are not sure if are attending. This saves time and hassle when going to a venue.
11. Local. Scan local newspapers, websites of your Chamber of Commerce to find free or low-cost fun events.
12. Internet. Search social media and membership websites such as AAA for local events.