Today is Black Friday, what many consider to be the official start of the holiday shopping season.
The season of giving can be a stressful time for retirees and other families who live off budgets that are already stretched thin.
The Resident News Network points out that it’s easy to overspend at the holidays and end up in debt. To help keep that from happening, it’s sharing shopping tips from the Cooperative Extension Service, an outreach branch of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Here are eight tips to be a smart shopper and great gift giver this holiday season:
- Set a budget
- Make a gift list
- Track your spending
- Shop early
- Consider handmade gifts
- Try a gift exchange
- Get thrifty
- Give experiences instead of things
And always keep in mind the popular saying: it’s the thought that counts. This holiday season give gifts that come from the heart and will have real meaning to the recipient.
Council of Seniors Wants Holidays to Be Meaningful
By passing The SAVE Benefits Act lawmakers can give seniors the best gift ever. This bill will help bridge the gap created by inadequate Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) in several recent years.
The Council of Seniors is working diligently to get this bill passed. When it does, seniors will be reimbursed the $581 that should have been included all along. That money would go a long way at the holidays.
Sign our petition right now to show your support.