Holiday budget tips: Save money, spend wisely 

Alongside newspaper and Internet advertisements telling us to buy, buy, buy come a plethora of articles on how to cut down on the expense. 
MBMG Investment Advisory has suggestions that can help you save, said managing director Paul Gambles.
 
Give money to charity 
The last few years have hit the most vulnerable people hard. The result of the global financial crisis to date has been to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. 
As of 2015, the world’s wealthiest 62 people had added US$542 billion to their net worth since 2010, whereas the wealth of the bottom half fell by just over $1 trillion in the same period – a drop of 41 per cent.
Consequently, you may prefer to give to charity than buy presents. The difficulty is that there are thousands of charities out there, so it’s important to take time to do a bit of research to ensure your money is being used in the way you’d like. It’s also important to ensure that your donation goes directly to that particular cause. Some charities are also happy to receive old clothes or other items. 

Free family calls 
A good thing coming from the evolution of the Internet is the ability to keep in touch with family and friends cheaply and, in some cases, for free. 
Applications such as Facebook, Line, WhatsApp and Skype offer video and voice calling for free if both people have an account (which is also free to set up). Skype also allows you to make voice calls to normal telephone numbers anywhere in the world. Check the rates: They can be competitive, depending on the landline or mobile plan you have.
 
Affordability over desirability
In this world of gargantuan household debt, it’s worth thinking about how you will pay for the larger items before thinking how much you want to buy them. That’s not as easy as it sounds, given all the temptations in the shops and on the Internet – but it’s important to keep priorities in mind.

Banning unnecessary gifts
This sounds extreme but what I’m referring to is those gifts to friends, cousins three times removed and colleagues. Rather than wasting money on mutual obligation, it could be a lot more satisfying to give them a call or meet up with them. 
Another way is to make a “No Unnecessary Presents Pact” (NUPP) with these people. If it’s awkward to say this to someone, one website has even created the NUPP Tool – a free e-mail generator. 

 Plan ahead
It may be too late for this month, but when working out your budget for next year, it’s worth recognising that December is likely to be the most expensive month. With that in mind, two ways to avoid going over budget are being realistic and spreading the cost.

Make a list and check it twice
This may not be the most awe-inspiring activity but if you make a list of things you need to buy and the food you need to prepare, it could help you avoid going way over budget.
Presents – list who you are buying for, what you want to buy, and how much money you have allocated for each person. For larger gifts, consider paying a deposit upfront in the months before New Year’s, so you can pay them off over time.
Supplies – list what you want to buy, and where from. Buy in advance where possible to take advantage of specials, especially if the items can be frozen or have a long shelf life.
If you are travelling – list costs like flights, car service/tyre checks, petrol and travel insurance and shop around for deals early.
It’s also worth noting that in Thailand this year there is an income-tax deduction of up to Bt15,000 |for spending on hotel rooms and |package tours in December to promote domestic tourism, and a shopping |tax break allowing consumers an income-tax deduction of up to Bt15,000 on receipted domestic purchases of goods and services from December 14-31. 

Track your spending
Once you start paying for things, keep a track of how much money you’re spending as you go along. This could be done equally on a fancy colourful spreadsheet or just a notebook and pen. 
There are also several budget apps available for smartphones and tablets.
 
Kids aren’t necessarily 
retail snobs
It’s a time-honoured tradition that parents buy an expensive gift for their young children, only for the little treasures to ignore the present itself and spend hours playing with the box. |So, when you’re in the shop ready to buy that super-mega-transforming-smartphone-controlled superhero or that dresses-itself-wets-its-own-diaper-wakes-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night doll, have a think about how long it will capture your little one’s imagination. 
Perhaps building bricks and modelling clay are more durable.