The holiday season is a time to eat, drink, and be merry. But with all of the gatherings and holiday activities, comes overeating and overspending. During the hustle and bustle of this time of year, it’s important to stay physically and financially healthy. Here are some ways to keep your waistline and wallet in check throughout the holidays:
- Say Yes to Free Coffee: We’d never ask you to ditch your morning cup of joe—we all know that it’s essential. Instead, if your work offers free coffee, wait until you get to the office and drink a cup there. This will save you the money you’d be spending at a coffee shop or on coffee from the store. If it’s hard to get excited about the bulk coffee and powdered creamer your work offers, buy your own creamer in flavors like hazelnut or pumpkin spice and keep it in your work fridge.
- Three S Rule: This eating rule is easy to adopt and still allows you to indulge on your favorite holiday foods.. for the most part. The Three S rule means no snacks, sweets, or seconds. Giving yourself one simple and memorable rule like this helps to keep you on track. Save your indulgences for those days that really matter, rather than splurging the entire season.
- Per-Person Shopping Budget: When it comes to budgeting for gifts, the more detailed you are, the better off your wallet will be. Once you budget for how much you want to spend on gifts, narrow your budget down to a per-person basis. If you’re shopping in-store, create a list before you shop for each person, so you’ll have an idea of what you need and won’t get side-tracked at the mall.
- Eat at Home: Plan to only eat out or buy take-out on the weekends. During the week, if you want to get together with family and friends, suggest a pot-luck rather than eating at a restaurant. Food that you prepare yourself is less costly and usually less caloric.
The moral of the story is that it’s possible to enjoy every aspect of the holiday season, guilt-free. And this time around, may everything stay trim except for your wallet.