The holiday season is upon us. And while it is the most awaited time of year for the majority, for a lot of us it also brings a sense of worry.
The holiday season, after all, is the time when money seems to disappear at an alarming rate, leaving behind holes in the budget we might not be able to fill up until spring. How to fix that? Budget for the holidays.
Make The Holidays Easier With These Budgeting Tips
I get it, we all want to have freedom during the holidays and to maybe not worry about the money for once in the entire year. And budgeting sounds decidedly like a cheer-killer. But there can be freedom in a budget if you know how to do it right.
Keep It Within Your Means
If you do not have $1000, don’t make a budget for $1000. Look at what you can afford to spend and plan the budget accordingly. This doesn’t mean the budget necessarily has to be constrained, but whatever you spend shouldn’t put you in a money hole you’ll need months to get out of.
Make A List Of Gifts And Activities
After you’ve determined just how much you can spend, make a list of the gifts you want to buy and activities you want to participate in during the holidays. This is not a wish list. Put the priorities on top. Compare the costs and cross out the things that you won’t be able to fit into your budget. There’s always next time.
Leave Some Wiggle Room
I can give you all the advice about how you shouldn’t fall for sales, but you’re very likely to still fall for them. Ditto on unplanned activities with family and friends. No matter how hard we try, there will always be some unpredictable expenses during the holiday season. But if you budget a certain amount for the unexpected, you’re far more likely to stay within your means, then with a rigid budget that allows no flexibility.
Set Up A Sinking Fund
This is the best advice someone has given me about budgeting for the holidays: start planning for the next one right after the last one. Look at your spending during the holiday season and start setting aside a certain fixed amount of money every month. In the end, your sinking fund should be fully funded by the time the next holiday season rolls around. Heck, you can even increase your budget, depending on what your monthly contributions are. When you break down one big expense into small monthly ones, the holiday season becomes much easier to enjoy.
Emergencies Threatening Your Holiday? Use Title Loans For Help
Now if you’ve yet to set up a sinking fund, there’s a chance you’re one of the millions of Americans who’s strapped for cash when the holidays roll around. Or you might’ve even budgeted, but as we all now – emergencies do tend to strike at the most inconvenient of times.
That last-minute emergency doesn’t necessarily mean you should give up on the holidays. These are the kind of situations title loans in Delaware are here for – get cash the moment you need it.
Many seem to be scared of taking out a title loan because they think it means giving up their car during the pay period. This is a misconception and a bad one: it is your vehicle title the lender will be getting, not the vehicle itself. If it’s the fear of having to give up your means of transportation that’s stopping you, you can relax.
How Do I Get Title Loans?
What’s a better benefit besides getting to keep your vehicle? Well, our quick process of course! We don’t make you wait days or even weeks for the cash once you are approved. In fact, most of your application begins online. Just fill out our online form and wait for one of our loan associates to give you a call. We will let you know if you’ve been approved and walk you through the rest of the process. This is also where we give you two options to choose from.
You can either come to our Delaware Title Loans store nearest you or have us come to you! That’s right, you can pick a location and we will come to meet you. You never have to come into one of our stores if you don’t want to.
Of course, if you’d rather come to us that is fine! Just look for one of our title loan locations in Delaware nearest you – and trust us, we have locations all over Delaware.
Either way, you choose, you’ll still meet with a loan associate who will go over your required items. The required items are also the same no matter which option you go with. You must have your state-issued ID, your vehicle’s lien-free title in your name, and the vehicle for inspection. The vehicle inspection is so we can determine the vehicle’s value and condition – both of which determine how much you qualify for. Once we are able to approve you, we will go over the loan terms and have you sign the loan agreement.
If we go meet you, then you can expect your cash in your account the very next bank business day. If you came into one of our Delaware Title Loans locations, you will walk out with the cash you qualify for right in hand.
Make Your Holidays Stress-Free With A Great Budget
Your holiday season plans don’t have to be completely stressful. With a solid budget in mind and title loans to help during emergencies, you could actually have successful plans this year.
Enjoyed this article? We have plenty more tips on how to handle your money wisely during the holidays!
Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.
