Finances during the holidays

While the holidays are here do you manage to still keep savings in your account? I feel like October-January is one thing after another, weddings, birthdays, Christmas. This month we are actually doing pretty good with not spending too much but it feels like during the holidays we spend way too much!

We have a little in savings. After our house disaster (long story) it isn't what it used to be. For us, it's around Feb that it gets pretty slim because we go to Michigan to do winter stuff before the snow is gone.

What savings account?   We are so beyond broke this month. In October the company both my husband and I work for shut down for a week, unpaid with almost no notice, so we lost 1/4 of our monthly income, then we started to get caught back up in November and then this month we're so broke I don't even know what to do with myself. Our son has all his presents, but no one else has anything yet, and we don't have enough for our mortgage yet. Hoping next year goes a little smoother  

I would never go into my savings account to buy freaking Christmas presents. Savings is for emergencies, down payments, unexpected bills, etc. Christmas presents do not fall into any of those categories. I started Christmas shopping in August, buying little by little to avoid spending hundreds of dollars within a month on presents.

My savings account is for emergencies or down payments. I also put cash aside every week starting in July so I can shop and not worry about spending hundreds of our household funds.

omg, Joanna....I've spent like over $2000 the last 6 weeks   Some of it is things I had put off until I got a new job though (like $530 on tires for my car, and $500 on plane tickets). We're doing great though and have only had to take about $400 out of savings! It is nice getting a bigger pay check though, it's helped out a lot.

<blockquote><b>Quoting Jas ♥:</b>" I would never go into my savings account to buy freaking Christmas presents. Savings is for emergencies, ... [snip!] ... started Christmas shopping in August, buying little by little to avoid spending hundreds of dollars within a month on presents."</blockquote>



Maybe I worded it wrong lol I don't take out of savings for presents, I meant as in just crap that comes up that makes you have to use out of savings. We could easily pay it with our income not including savings but since we have so much going on these months we have to use it. And not put in like we do every month.

We aren't big on Christmas presents. My son doesn't even care of he gets anything lol

<blockquote><b>Quoting Colt's mommy:</b>" omg, Joanna....I've spent like over $2000 the last 6 weeks   Some of it is things I had put off ... [snip!] ... and have only had to take about $400 out of savings! It is nice getting a bigger pay check though, it's helped out a lot."</blockquote>




That's crazy!! Yeah we've had to get new tires, fix things on kyles car, pay off my ring. It's like all this crap happens around the holidays!! It never fails! We don't spend much on presents at all. So that's a good thing.

Quoting JoAnna &hearts's Jett:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Jas ♥:</b>" I would never go into my savings account to ... [snip!] ... And not put in like we do every month. We aren't big on Christmas presents. My son doesn't even care of he gets anything lol"

I put in to savings twice a month and have only had to miss once. Although, with these plane tickets and tires all in the same week (last week), I will probably have to take more out of savings but still not much.

Quoting JoAnna &hearts's Jett:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Colt's mommy:</b>" omg, Joanna....I've spent like over $2000 ... [snip!] ... all this crap happens around the holidays!! It never fails! We don't spend much on presents at all. So that's a good thing."

Other than my new t.v. for our bedroom (my x-mas present), we've spent less than $400 and am finished with everyone! And, the t.v. went on to our best buy card which has 0% interest for 18 months. I'm going to take 12 months to pay it off, $45 a month payments.

We had to dip into our savings because my husband hired some guy to help with 1 project and he stole a bunch of his tools and we had to replace them.  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Colt's mommy:</b>" I put in to savings twice a month and have only had to miss once. Although, with these plane tickets ... [snip!] ... plane tickets and tires all in the same week (last week), I will probably have to take more out of savings but still not much."</blockquote>




I wish we could put in twice a month! One day lol

<blockquote><b>Quoting Salad Fingers:</b>" We had to dip into our savings because my husband hired some guy to help with 1 project and he stole a bunch of his tools and we had to replace them.  "</blockquote>




That really sucks.  

Quoting JoAnna &hearts's Jett:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Colt's mommy:</b>" I put in to savings twice a month and have ... [snip!] ... have to take more out of savings but still not much."</blockquote> I wish we could put in twice a month! One day lol"

I just direct deposit the same amount out of my paychecks in to savings and I get paid twice a month! I even opened up a second savings account just for Colt and I put $50 a paycheck directly in there. Well, it hasn't started yet, it should start on this next paycheck I think.

Our savings is pretty small right now. We filed bankruptcy this year and had to move into another home. Then we needed new tires on our truck or we wasn't going to make it very far. We bought a couple used tires, but they didn't last long. DH is deployed so we are getting paid ok right now. We are living comfortably right now. Every since DH has deployed, it has been something or another to come up though. If it weren't for bad luck, our savings would be ok right now too. Hopefully after Christmas and around tax time, we will really try to build up a savings. We want to put as much in there as possible since we learned the hard way and ended up having to file bankruptcy.