Put Extra Jingle in Holiday Wallet by Planning Shopping Budget; Interviews Available TODAY

San Mateo, CA (PRWEB) November 23, 2007 -- This holiday season, the National Retail Federation's 2007 forecast anticipates American consumers will spend more than $800 each, but families can shape up their budgets with some holiday planning, says Brad Stroh, co-founder and co-CEO of free online consumer portal Bills.com (www.bills.com).

Stroh is available today for interviews about personal finance and budget planning on "Black Friday," Nov. 23, the day following Thanksgiving when shoppers traditionally launch the Christmas shopping season -- spending enough to put retailers in the black for the year.

"Our society increasingly focuses on spending as the centerpiece of holiday celebrations," Stroh noted. "But you can keep your share within your budget by planning ahead -- and using a few tricks to eke out extra holiday buying power."

Here are a few of Stroh's tips to manage holiday spending:

1. Budget first. "Before holiday tunes jingle your willpower away, think practically," Stroh advised. "Budget for all items you anticipate spending on this holiday season." Remember to include:

-- Everyone to whom you will give a gift to and how much you plan to spend.

-- Cards and postage.

-- Decorations.

-- Entertaining, including food, drink, special garments, child care, etc.

-- Year-end tips for newspaper carriers, babysitters, housecleaners, doormen, hair stylists and other service providers.

-- Gifts for teachers, doctors, neighbors or others close to your family.

-- Travel costs.

2. Score at sales. Watch the sales fliers and take advantage of deep discounts. Visit clearance racks -- classic items that are marked way down from last year will be a perfectly appropriate (and value-priced) gift this holiday. In fact, Stroh noted, some families exchange gifts after the New Year, allowing some nice benefits in shopping post-holiday sales.

3. Shop early online. Avoid the temptation of store displays -- as well as the hassle of fighting over the last must-have toy. Especially when free shipping is available, online purchasing is a quick, convenient way to send gifts directly to out-of-state family and friends.

4. Save your pennies (and nickels, dimes and quarters). Every evening, collect your change to turn in at a coin-counting machine. Use the payback to buy holiday gifts or, if the machine offers gift cards instead of receiving cash, use those for holiday shopping.

5. Don't buy for yourself. The same National Retail Federation survey cited above found shoppers plan to take advantage of sales to spend another $100 on themselves. "If you must splurge, keep it to a limit of $10 or so," Stroh suggested. "Remember that Santa likely will be bringing gifts for you, too."

6. Boost the gift budget. Pare down your lifestyle before the holidays if a big burst of giving and entertaining is your style at the holidays. By making coffee at home rather than buying gourmet coffee drinks twice a week, bringing lunch to work instead of eating out twice a week, giving up that glass of wine with dinner or eating in rather than dining out on the weekends, a typical adult can save $120 a month -- enough for several nice gifts or a great holiday experience such as a play or a special meal.

"Once you're thinking in terms of holiday savings, you'll come up with other ideas that suit your financial style," Stroh said. "Most importantly, do not put yourself in debt over your head for the holidays. Do not spend more than you can pay off within a few weeks after the holiday. The holiday season is an excellent opportunity to train yourself to live within your means, giving yourself the gift of financial security."

Based in San Mateo, Calif., Bills.com is a free one-stop online portal where consumers can educate themselves about complex personal finance issues and comparison shop for products and services including credit cards, debt relief assistance, insurance, mortgages and other loans. The company blogs about consumer finance issues at http://www.bills.com/blog Since 2002, Bills.com has served more than 30,000 customers nationwide while managing more than $500 million in consumer debt. Bills.com is a division of Freedom Financial Network, LLC, whose co-founders and CEOs, Andrew Housser and Brad Stroh, have been named Northern California finalists in Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

Source: http://www.nrf.com/content/default.asp?folder=press/release2006&file=06holidaysurvey1.htm

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