OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Although the holidays are a time for celebration, they can also be stressful, especially during a year that's been tough for so many.
"Holidays are stressful enough, but then you add a pandemic, you add 10 million people being out of work… I mean the list goes on and on," said Julie Kalkowski, Executive Director of the Financial Hope Collaborative at Creighton University.
She adds 2020 is the year to do less and spend less around the holiday season.
Kalkowski has a few tips for holiday shoppers.
- Create your own new normal. She added maybe that means saving money by staying home.
- Build a spending plan. Kalkowski says a budget is the foundation of all financial planning.
- Make a list and check it twice. She said find the deals with a little pre-shopping research.
- Think about gifting differently this year. Kalkowski believes it's the perfect year to donate your time or money.
“You don't need to run around like crazy trying to buy stuff that people don't need and don't want. They want your time. They want your killer brownies. They want something unique that you do," said Kalkowski.
Kalkowski adds that if you do overspend this holiday season, the start of the new year is a great opportunity to set financial goals like paying off debts and setting up a savings account.
Kalkowski said a great place to shop is thehungersite.com. It's a website that allows you to give back by simply by clicking on the website.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.