Guest Contributor: Andrea Schmutz USU Extension Assistant Professor “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” croons Andy Williams on the radio. When Christmas decorations started appearing while I was still debating on which Halloween candy to buy, instead of feeling frustrated that people were leapfrogging Halloween and Thanksgiving to get to Christmas, I felt my spirits lift. COVID could alter life in many ways, but it could not take away the positivity and joy that I feel during the Christmas season. However, one thing started to tug at my thoughts, threatening to dampen my spirits. With so much time to think about Christmas, would it be harder to stick to my holiday shopping budget? As I pondered my dilemma, I had a most bizarre thought: the words to a Christmas song started dancing in my head and I realized they had some great advice that would help me in my efforts to not overspend this season. I started looking at other Christmas songs and found that there were hidden budgeting messages in many of them.
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Guest Contributor: Emma Parkhurst USU Extension Assistant Professor Have you ever felt overwhelmed when the holidays roll around and it’s time to purchase gifts for loved ones? Whether you’re single, newly married, or it’s just you and your partner, gift giving can get out of hand if you don’t set a precedent for future years. Setting spending expectations for gifts can not only protect your monthly budget, but also prevent a major headache! Wondering where to start? Consider what you spent last year and if that works for your budget this year. Here are some ideas to put in place some gift giving guidelines: KristiLyn Wilkinson, M.S. Utah Money Moms Contributor Well gang, we finally made it to December 2020. I don’t know about you, but back in March when Utah shut down for a month, I didn’t expect to be writing about Christmas during COVID 9 months later… Alas, here we are, and we can still make it a holiday to remember- in a good way! You might not celebrate Christmas, but these same tips apply to whatever you are celebrating at this time of year. Depending on where you live, you may be experiencing different levels of gathering restrictions. In general, though, large group gatherings, concerts, programs, etc. are just not happening this year. This can potentially be a bonus for your wallet. Guest Contributor: Callie Ward USU Extension Assistant Professor Neighbor gifts...have you heard this term? The tradition is strong in Utah to deliver neighbor gifts during the holiday season! It is fun to deliver them and it is fun to receive them. They can bust your budget if you're not careful. These expressions of appreciation do not have to be expensive to be meaningful. I like to add a little humor into them. Check out my go-to list of CHEAP and EASY Neighbor Gifts including some fun, 2020-specific ideas: |
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