Checklist for Your Holiday Budget

Budget your holiday with this checklist and enjoy a stress-free season.

Travel

(Tip: Compare flights before booking and book as early as possible.)

When traveling by air, budget for:

- Flight tickets

- Car parking or airport transportation

- Car rental

When traveling by car, budget for:

- Tolls

- Gas

- Snacks on the road

- Pre-trip maintenance, including an oil change

Gifts

(Tip: Budget out an amount to spend on each child in your family and stick with it. Be sure to include the extras that may be needed to complete each gift.)

Budget for:

- Gift costs

- Batteries for toys and cameras

- Printer or other cables for electronics

- Memory cards and controllers for gaming systems

- Carrying or protective cases for hand-held electronics

(Tip: Determine who else you will be seeing during the holidays to complete the gift-buying portion of your holiday budget. Consider these options when you need to buy for a number of adults:

- Buy case of local wine and use each bottle as a gift, or have them on hand when you need a last-minute hostess gift.

- Homemade gifts, from candies and cookies to crocheted items or framed family photos, can save you money.)

Gift Wrap and Cards

(Tip: Budget for gift wrap items, if you didn't buy them at the end of last season. Be sure to pick these items up after the holidays, to prepare for next year and save at least 50 percent of the original retail cost.)

Budget for:

- Wrapping paper

- Scotch tape

- Bows

- Ribbons

- Gift tags

- Gift bags

- Postage for out-of-town gifts

- Holiday Cards

- Stamps

Meals

(Tip: Save money by planning to serve the holiday meal within an hour of your guest's arrival so you can skip the costly appetizer plates.)

Budget for:

- Main course

Choose your main course for the holiday meal, including a ham, turkey, pork roast or vegetarian dish. Finalize the list of guests before ordering any holiday main course meat. If your family tends to pick up strays along the way, add two or three serving amounts to the number of pounds you need.

- Spices and holiday extras

Factor in holiday spices and condiments, including wholes cloves, ham glaze, pineapple for ham, turkey seasoning andbread stuffing.

- Desserts

- Beverages

- Alcohol

- Mixers

- Juice, soda, non-alcoholic ciders

For the holiday dinner, you may also need:

- Large roasting pan

- Aluminum foil

- Turkey baster

- Holiday candles

- Holiday tablecloth

- Festive place mats

(Tip: Consider checking with local farms and butchers for prices on fresh, rather than frozen, turkeys or hams. The initial price may be higher, but you will be able to freeze leftover meats safely. Plus, fresh turkey trumps frozen turkey any day of the year. )

(Tip: A good chunk of your holiday budget may be allotted to the main course when you ask guests to bring specific side dishes or desserts. Organize a list based on any specialty dishes each family member is known for. Does you aunt make the best broccoli casserole, vegetarian stuffing or cranberry salad? Most family and friends are happy to contribute to the holiday meal by bringing food.)

Holiday Decorations

(Tip: Save money by re-using last year's artificial tree and decorating with the same ornaments. You can change things up by introducing one new color to the tree. If you have a lot of ornaments and decorations, rotate the color scheme each year.)

Budget for:

- Tree

- Tree skirt

- Ornaments

- Lights

- Wreath

- Garland

- Candles