Thanksgiving and Halloween have been and gone. The holiday season is fast approaching…..and that means socializing, shopping, cards, family and busy schedules. Here are a few suggestions to reduce the anxiety that can come along with all the fun.

1. Make a plan including your buying list and your ‘to do’ list. Don’t forget to note social engagements!
2. **Estimate the costs associated with your lists and plan.
3. Put your ‘to do’s’ on the calendar and get started!

Number **2. is probably the trickiest. In order for your plan to work, it’s important to get all the details. Your list may include gifts for friends, family or hosts, cards, postage, travel, entertaining, donations, dinners out, treats and clothing. Opening the mail in the new year when it often contains holiday bills can take a little of the shine off the holiday memories. You do yourself a huge favour if you’ve got the financial side of the holidays covered beforehand. Here’s how:

1. If you’ve already got some money set aside in your budget for holiday expenses – great! Check it against your estimate to see if it’s complete and enough. If not, go to Step 2.
2. Review your holiday cost estimate from #2 above and make sure it’s complete. Did you include hostess gifts, postage and travel?
3. Take the total and divide by the number of paychecks you will receive between now and the holidays.
4. Whether you have to trim elsewhere or not, this is the amount to stash to pay for your holiday expenses.

It may still seem like ages away but time slips by quickly! The best present to yourself will be to have the holidays ‘paid for’. Here are a couple suggestions to get the jump on next year:

• Set aside a chunk of your tax return
• Set up a monthly transfer to a savings account
• If you max your CPP & EI payments part way through the year….set up a transfer for the same deduction to a savings account