The holidays are approaching fast, and this year it is more important than ever to be a smart consumer. We’ve all heard the news about post-pandemic supply chain issues and how that may impact our ability to find everything we want this holiday season, but it will also impact our pocketbooks.

Here are some tips to help you save more this holiday season:

Make a List and Check It Twice – Start by making a list of all of your expenses this holiday season. Your list should not only include gifts that you want to buy and a price range for each, but it should also include things like groceries, if you’ll be doing the cooking, and gas, if you’ll be traveling by car; and don’t forget the smaller expenses too, because it all adds up!

Hold a Build-a-Budget Workshop – As simple as it may sound, once you’ve created a list, decide how much you want to spend in total. Then add up your projected expenses and make cuts where necessary. It’s important that you don’t just create a budget and then tuck it away and forget it, but that you stick with it throughout the season—adding unexpected expenses and making adjustments where needed.

Take Santa’s Toy Workshop Online – It can be fun searching the stores for the perfect gifts, but it can also be more expensive. Between rising gas prices and the availability of a multitude of online discounts, shopping online can save you big. Just make sure you order well in advance this year, because it will likely take much longer for your gifts to arrive.

Skip the Party-Wear and Go Casual – We know! It’s been a long time since we’ve all been out and about, and you may be tempted to buy a pricy new outfit and show it off at the holiday party, but try and resist the urge. Instead, wear something from your closet–go retro!

Cancel the Caterers and Try Potluck – No need to have your holiday party catered and spend countless dollars on servers and fancy hors d’oeuvres. Make a list of the foods you want to serve and assign each guest a course, snack or beverage. And remember, it’s always a good idea to supply the main entree (turkey, ham) yourself, as that is usually the priciest item.

There are lots of ways you can save this holiday season; you just have to do a little planning! And when you’re doing your planning, don’t forget to check out the Transocean Discount Marketplace on the My Journey page of YourTransoceanBenefits.com for deals on travel, restaurants, entertainments, electronics and more.

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