Track your expenditures6 of 9"You can go high-tech or low-tech with tracking," says Kay.People who understand programs like Microsoft Excel can keep a running total of what they've spent on their smart phones to stay within their budget. A small notebook works just as well."Just make sure that whatever you use is accessible to your entire family, in case someone else makes a purchase that needs to be logged," says Kay.If you've allotted $50 for Aunt Harriet's gift because that's the best price you found in your research and you find a sale where it's $15, you can shift the balance of your aunt's limit to someone else. But, if you expect to save money and stay out of debt, don't go over the $50 cap. Related Articles:Best holiday saving tipsFrugal holiday tipsHoliday spending calculatorChristmas club tames billsRelated Links:Stretching holiday cashFind frugal, not cheap, giftsTips for gifts on a budgetHoliday shipping tips advertisement
"You can go high-tech or low-tech with tracking," says Kay.
People who understand programs like Microsoft Excel can keep a running total of what they've spent on their smart phones to stay within their budget. A small notebook works just as well.
"Just make sure that whatever you use is accessible to your entire family, in case someone else makes a purchase that needs to be logged," says Kay.
If you've allotted $50 for Aunt Harriet's gift because that's the best price you found in your research and you find a sale where it's $15, you can shift the balance of your aunt's limit to someone else. But, if you expect to save money and stay out of debt, don't go over the $50 cap.
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