Credit Card Tips for Wise Christmas Shopping

Christmas is literally biting at our heels and with just under two weeks to go before we merry in the holidays, the rush is on to complete all preparations for the season. But with all the party planning and gift shopping, sticking to your diet is not the only task you’ll find difficult, especially when you have access to that plastic magic wand. Before you get giddy on the eggnog and wine cake, here are a few simple steps to help you utilize your credit cards wisely this Christmas season:

1.Think twice before you swipe.

We all know the rewards you get for shopping with your credit card can be massive, particularly during the holiday season but that doesn’t mean you should swipe on every shopping trip. If you have a little issue resisting the urge, here are a two simple tips that may help:

• Do away with the practice of saving your credit card information to websites.A saved credit card is the quickest way to complete a purchase before you’ve mentally processed what you’re buying. The time it takes to retrieve your credit card from your wallet or purse, may cause you to withdraw from the process of purchasing.

• Desist from taking your credit cards along for the ride. If the shopping trip wasn’t planned, there is a great chance that you will succumb to the urge of buying things you don’t need. Those displays and holiday promotions can be quite tempting but if your card didn’t tag along for the ride, you’re less likely to buy in.

2. Shop early!

Stay away from last minute shopping. If you wait until the final hour to make holiday purchases, it is more than likely that you’ve missed out on all the good deals that could save you a few thousand dollar bills which could be very handy to combat the challenges of the New Year.
Don’t bite the bait. Instead, create a timeline with the end goal to finish shopping at least two weeks before the holidays. Get all your gifts together and organized, then tuck them away so you won’t be tempted to add extras to the pile. Of course, this will be a challenge but know that shopping early will not only save you money but will give you peace of mind when everyone else is running around at the last minute.

 3. Keep a budget.

Most importantly, do not yield to temptation, make a budget and stick to it. The holidays put us in a frenzy and the lights, décor and discounts cause us to lose our cool and spend rapidly out of control. Create a list of the things you need and know you can afford and keep track of your spending throughout the season. Bear in mind that mistakes do happen so don’t panic if you went a little over budget on one item, simply scale back your spending for another purchase or two.

Remember, don’t let your credit card spending get out of control this holiday season. The last thing you want is to start the New Year with bad credit. Enjoy the holidays and let’s start 2016 right because life is always better with good credit and a FREE copy of your credit report to stay Intune with your finances.

Retrieved from: http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2014/11/02/5-tips-for-using-credit-cards-wisely-during-the-holidays