Tips for Living Within Your Means During Holiday Season

We are approaching the most expensive time of the year -- fourth quarter! Back to School, Halloween, the holidays, not to mention birthdays. How can you possibly budget for all of this while keeping your credit cards at home?

KYW's Michelle Durham spoke with a local expert to find out!

Beneficial bank president Gerry Cuddy says now more then ever, you have to stay away from the credit cards:

"Particularly this year in a tough economy, now is the time to work from a cash budget to a credit budget -- that's the first thing. The second thing is spend realistically. Do some shopping inside your own house when it comes to school supplies, clothing, for activities, all of that."

Cuddy says it pays to start your holiday shopping early:

"Exactly the same way we budget our cash purchases we should be budgeting our time and our gift selections. And that does a couple of things: It increases the quality of the actual buying experience, so if you can take care of one or two people a month as early as July, you'll be done before Thanksgiving!"