| December 04, 2008 |
 Manage Your Finances During Holiday Shopping Season |
By: Ina Steiner
Thu Dec 4 2008
23:51:31 |
 With disposable income especially tight this holiday season, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants published five tips to help consumers manage their finances during the next few weeks of shopping.
1 - Develop a Budget: plan a budget that is appropriate for your financial situation. You will need to identify your current monthly income and expenses, which will guide your spending for the holiday season. It is important that once you create a budget you stick with it. (Michael Schulman, CPA/PFS, Schulman Co. PC, New York)
2 - Cash is King: try to use cash when doing your shopping. Credit cards allow you to spend money you do not necessarily have. (Michael Eisenberg, CPA/PFS, Los Angeles)
3 - Comparison Shop: once you have that holiday list, be an educated shopper and compare prices. You might be able to save $20, $30 or more if you find the same product online or at another store. You might have to invest some time into shopping, but in the long run it will save you in the wallet. (Irv Diamond, CPA/PFS, REDW LLC, Albuquerque, NM)
4 - Be Practical, Be Creative:
- Spend Christmas volunteering at a soup kitchen, hospital or nursing home, for example.
- Don't exchange gifts with adults. Adults should understand financial limitations more readily.
- Rather than have everyone buy gifts for every child, pick names to limit the number of gifts.
- Consider more personal gifts: photographs, things you made yourself, things of sentimental value.
- Give the gift of time: get together with the people you love.
- Consider gift certificates for your time or services.
(Adele Brady Bolson, CPA, Bellevue, WA)
5 - Do Additional Research: Check out the AICPA's Web sites, www.360financialliteracy.org and www.feedthepig.org, for free tools, articles and resources to help you better plan your financial future.
These tips from the AICPA fit in with the spirit of the EveryPlaceISell.com merchant community. EPIS merchants offer unique items, handmade goods, new and refurbished items - at a great value and with personal service. And you can comparison shop to see if sellers are listing items at lower prices on their own websites or on an auction site or marketplace.
Browse a category, view by marketplace, or peruse "latest listings" on EveryPlaceISell.com. Spend wisely, and feel good about shopping!
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