Use cash, stick to budget while Christmas shopping

You want to bring smiles to the faces of your family and friends this Christmas -- but you don't want to bring a frown to your own when the bills come due in January.

Experts advise using cash rather than credit cards, and as this site is constantly reminding you, create a budget and stick to it.

Read more details in The Birmingham News here.

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Creative Commons photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51486173@N00/223052548

Creative gift-giving on a budget

How do you figure gift-giving into your budget?

Some people set up specific accounts, like Christmas clubs of the past. I've opted to use my budget, which doesn't designate specifically to gifts, so I'm forced to be creative.

In my case, I've got lots of money left over in the Food and Clothing categories -- so if you're on my gift list you can expect something to wear or something to eat. (Food-related items work, too: dishes, etc.)

Since I have no young children to buy for this works out, but obviously I'd have to find a way to get toys if I had kids making desperate pleas.

Usually, your Miscellaneous fund will take care of you here, but if not you'll have to look into Entertainment or other areas. If you're flush with cash in your Auto/Travel fund try a gas station gift card.

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Photo by Petr Kratochvil, PublicDomainPictures.net

Budget airfare tips

It's not necessary to go to these lengths to save.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ma1974/ / CC BY 2.0

Matt Gross of The New York Times shares his expertise on getting the cheapest airfare.