100 days until Christmas: 3 steps to start saving now to sleigh the holidays
There are less than 100 days until Christmas, and the holiday countdown is already on its way. It's a great time for families to think about saving up before the winter holidays.
The average consumer spends around $1,000 during the holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation.
ABC News chief business correspondent Rebecca Jarvis shared the best ways to get a jump start.
Practical steps to alleviate holiday financial stress
Step 1: Map out goals
Decide on a budget for your holiday spending, including gifts, food and travel.
Once you have a total amount, you can use a savings calculator like Bankrate and Nerdwallet to discover what you would need to set aside to stay on target to meet your monetary goal by the holidays.
Step 2: Decide where that money will come from
Once you create a budget, apps like Mint can help show exactly where your money goes in real time. It puts all credit card payments and bills under one umbrella and can be accessed by your spouse or partner.
Step 3: Get the whole family involved
"Envelope budgeting" is a great way to teach kids about money.
Plot out the holidays based on the above categories and set aside cash in an envelope for each one when you get a paycheck, based on what the apps calculated is an appropriate amount to save.
Research shows that people are much less likely to overspend when they use cash only. This helps children see how quickly cash can be spent, too.
Once there is a routine with this process, it's a great technique to establish a monthly budget.
This story was originally published on August 27, 2019.
