It's that time of year when many people start their holiday shopping.
American consumers spend about $1,000 apiece on gifts and other seasonal fare, according to recent surveys.
Brad Clegg, from Mountain America Credit Union, joined us with some strategies for spreading cheer while keeping some cash.
He says before you start shopping, write down all the people or events you're going to spend on in the next six weeks or so.
Think about your immediate family, extended family, friends, coworkers, charities, parties – anyone, anything or anywhere you might want to budget for.
Then write down first what your max budget is for each one, and next what you think would be a good gift.
Brad says,"Sometimes we don't actually need to spend very much—or even spend anything at all—to give someone a gift they will really enjoy."
If you do have a gift in mind to buy, look for ways you can save on that purchase.
Set up price alerts online or look at a price-tracking websites to see what the lowest price has been on your item historically so you know what a good deal looks like.
Don't forget to use discounts where you can, too.
Many financial institutions offer savings as part of their credit card or other products.
At Mountain America, for instance, Rewards credit card users are getting triple points on all purchases through December 31.
And MyStyle Checking members have access to hundreds of discounts for a variety of stores, theme parks and services included in their perks throughout the entire year. Be sure to take advantage of all those savings.
You want to earn rewards points on purchases you're already making. Then, you can redeem those points for gift cards, travel, or even just cash back to offset some of that holiday spending. You don't want to spend more just to get points, but the points are a nice way to make your dollar stretch further. Stick to your holiday budget, check your balances frequently and pay your cards off more often if that will help you stay on track.
If you look at your budget and it seems like more than you really want to spend, talk with your family about setting limits on gifts, or doing a secret Santa exchange where everyone draws a name and buys just one nicer gift for that person.
That way no one feels obligated to spend more than they can afford to and everyone still gets a gift.
Lastly, if you find you don't have much saved up for this year's gifts be more proactive in 2026.
Mountain America offers a Christmas Club certificate account that helps you save throughout the year so you're better prepared when that certificate matures in November. You can learn more about that in any of our branches or at macu.com.
On-screen disclosures:
Insured by NCUA
Loans on approved credit. Membership required—based on eligibility. MyStyle® Checking benefit requires no-cost registration/activation. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Business accounts not eligible for triple rewards. This limited-time offer expiries 12/31/25. Any offer provided by Mountain America can be withdrawn at any time and is subject to change.
