• Welcome

    That's right, the holidays are here—and we're here to help you ring in that time of year.

    Whether it's creating a budget, picking out gifts or wowing with recipes that don't cost a mint, everything here is designed to get you through December with minimal stress and maximum cheer.

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Holiday Gift Budget Calculator

2. How do you feel about your monthly discretionary income?

  • I can’t quite
    make ends meet.
    I am not on track to reach my retirement goals, nor do I have an emergency fund, or enough leftover in the month to contribute to one. I’m also paying off debt.
  • I’m squeaking
    by every month.
    If I have debt, I’m on track to pay it down. I’m putting a little toward retirement and/or emergency savings, but not enough for either one—and I have to watch every dollar.
  • My monthly
    expenses
    are covered.
    I have my monthly expenses covered and am making headway with savings. If I have any debt, I am on track to pay it off. I’m putting a decent amount toward retirement (though it isn’t the full amount) and have a couple of months’ worth of emergency savings.
  • I’m pretty
    comfortable.
    I have little or no debt, am contributing what I need to toward retirement and either have or am close to having a healthy emergency fund. I don’t have tons left over every month, but I have the basics covered and don’t need to stretch every dollar.
  • I’m very
    comfortable.
    I have no debt, have a healthy emergency fund and am contributing what I need (or more) to retirement. I have a good amount of discretionary income leftover every month, which is allowing me to save for some big-ticket items.

3. Who’s on your holiday list?

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Your holiday budget should be:

less than

Your Holiday Gift Total:

GREAT

Given your financial situation, we think it’s best if you either go all DIY with your gifts, perform important services for loved ones or simply tell them that gifts don’t fit into your budget this year. If you feel you must absolutely buy things for a few people, try to stay under 5% of your monthly take-home pay, and absolutely do not let your budget exceed 8%.
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