How to save for gifts at Christmas time?

I am a homemaker, so money is a little tight. With a husband and daughter, what are some things I can do now, October 16th, to save and cut back so I can get gifts for christmas. I would really like to go out for black friday, so I guess that would give me alittle over a month. We try to save at least $400 a month.

How to save for gifts at Christmas time?
Have your husband's employer set his dependants high for 2 months. This will give you a "Christmas bonus". More money will go to you each pay period. If that doesn't work, get a red bucket and a bell.
Reply:This is what I do, but I do it all year.





When I'm paying for anything, I put the change in my pocket, when I get home, I drop the change in a gallon size pickle jar, that I bought from Walmart, and cleaned out, after my kids ate the pickles.





Also, all year, we have a cup on the kitchen table, if you do something bad, you pay the price. Like my kids like to belch, that is 10 cents. My youngest daughter has learned to spit, 15 cents. Of course don't leave yourself out, if I cuss, it cost me 50 cents.


These are just examples, we have more, but nothing costing more than 50 cents. As they quit doing one thing, something else gets added. And beleive it or not friends and family members get invovled. When my friends come over, if they cuss or light up a cigarette in the house, my kids call them on it, and they drop their money in the cup. My kids make their friends pay too, if they belch, spit, whatever.





You'd be surprised at how much you have at the end of the year.
Reply:Open a savings account just for Christmas ...that way you can save your money all year round .
Reply:cut back on things that aren't necessary. pay your bills and only your bills. if your husband eats out everyday for lunch, suggest he take his lunch instead. take the money you'd spend on a family night out, fast food, unnecessary splurges, etc and put it into a savings account. those little amounts add up quickly.





preparing for next year, deposit $25 (or whatever you can comfortably afford) a paycheck into a savings account. get a jug and put any change you have leftover from shopping, you find in the washer/dryer/couch, etc, in the jug. you'll be surprised how quickly it all adds up. you might have enough left over after shopping to get a nice family present.
Reply:Open a Christmas Club account with your local bank. If they don't have one, then just open a regular savings account. You won't have it for this year but you'll be ready for next year. Make yourself put so much in that account each week or paycheck. It will add up over time.
Reply:We direct Deposit $225 from each of my wife's paychecks from Sept. to Dec. into an account that we have no debit/ATMcard for. That way we don't get at it and spend it. It makes things tight for those first 4 months of the school year, but we end up with about $2000 to spend on gifts.