The holidays are fast approaching. For most people, this is both a joyous time of year as well as a very stressful time of year. It is a time of togetherness and a time for giving. Unfortunately, stress can often affect a person during this time of year so much that they miss out on all of the fun for the whole season. The number one cause of stress is, of course, money. With budgets tightening, it is often very hard to find enough money to use for gift-buying. Most of the money gets drained on bills and other normal household expenses.

Start a Savings Plan

Help avoid some of the stress during the holidays by coming up with a savings plan. Just start by analyzing the current budget and then come up with an amount of money that could be put away each week that would not be missed. Even an amount as small as $10 a week can end up being enough to buy a few gifts for friends and loved ones. Just make a plan, start early, and stick to the plan. The savings will add up before you know it.

If setting aside a certain amount of money each week is too difficult, then try the spare change method. Just take an old jar or shoebox and set it aside. Move to a cash-only system where everything is paid with cash. Take the change from every purchase and place it in a jar or shoebox. This method will quickly add up, as well. There are actually some banks that even offer programs where they will round up all charges to the nearest dollar and place that difference into a savings account. Now you are not only saving money, but you are also earning interest on the money that you are saving.

Now with all of this said, sometimes unforeseen events means that the holidays will arrive before you have saved any gift-buying funds. To many people, this can be very disheartening, especially when others are giving you and your loved ones gifts. So how does one afford to pay for these gifts and there is no money saved? An option is to consider a car title loan. These are great options for people who do not have the greatest credit score to borrow a little extra money to get through the holidays. The car title is used to secure the loan, so it is cheaper than a payday loan. Sound like it might work for you? Give the folks over at Embassy Loans a call for more details and they will be happy to fill you in.