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Save Money During the Holidays to Buy Your Dream Home in the New Year


The spirit of the season can put a major dent in your savings and set you back any big investments—such as buying a house. Follow some of these holiday money-saving tips to keep your finances in the green through the new year:

Consider gift alternatives for everyone on your list

  • Host a gift exchange for big groups, such as extended family or coworkers.
  • Instead of buying individual gifts for whole families, consider group gifts. Items such as a zoo membership or movie tickets are always a hit.  
  • Cook or bake homemade treats, such as fudge, truffles, cookies, or jams. 
  • Make a donation to a worthy cause in a friend or family member's name.

Make the most of your gift budget

  • Agree on a spending limit on gifts for friends and family—and stick to it.
  • To prevent overspending, leave your credit cards at home and use cash for purchases.  
  • Unable to use cash for everything? Use a single low-interest credit card—you can easily keep track of what you need to pay off, and it won't rack up enormous interest in the meantime. 
  • If gifts are cheaper online than in the store (which is often the case if you're using coupon trackers, such as RetailMeNot or Honey), buy them online and have them shipped directly to the recipient.
  • For young children, quantity is often just as important as quality. Wrap small, inexpensive items separately and include hand-me-down toys as gifts to fill space under the tree.
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Stretch your holiday dollar

  • Save money by making potluck-style holiday meals and assigning each guest an item to bring.
  • Instead of holiday gift wrap, buy solid-colored gift wrap in traditional holiday colors such as red, green, or gold. These can be used all year for any occasion.   
  • To keep your electricity bill down, use a timer to turn outdoor lights on and off at designated hours. 
  • Traveling during the holidays? Flying on the actual holiday is often cheaper, with plenty of seats available. 

Appraisals By Michael is a leading full-service appraisal firm with extensive knowledge of the real estate valuation process. We specialize in numerous types of appraisal services, including property (commercial and residential), bankruptcy, divorce, immigration, relocation, and estate matters throughout metro Atlanta's $477 billion real estate market. With 20 years of experience in the real estate market, our appraisers work to provide excellent valuation and consulting services to homeowners, financial institutions, law firms, and accounting firms. Our state-of-the-art appraisal methods allow us to provide customized, detailed reports within 1 to 2 business days, helping to simplify your appraisal experience with accuracy and expertise.

For a full list of services, please visit our Services page. For a list of our coverage areas, please visit our Coverage Area page.

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Posted by Anne-Marie Boring on December 5th, 2019 4:32 PMLeave a Comment

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