Even if you’re not particularly active on social media, you’ve probably at least heard of TikTok. It’s a social media platform that has become very popular recently, particularly with Gen Z members. There’s likely a TikTok video that corresponds to just about any question you have. Is debt consolidation a good idea? You can turn to TikTok to find out, and you’ll probably get your answer along with some colorful infographics and a catchy song playing in the background.
The end of the year is approaching, which means several holidays are coming up. Over the next few weeks, you’ll have to face down the gauntlet of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If paying for holiday expenses or gifts is on your mind, you might feel tempted to ask TikTok for advice. We did that, and here’s what the popular social media platform had to say.
1. The Savings Ladder
Let’s say there’s a particular holiday gift that you want to get this year. Maybe you want it for yourself or plan to give it to a loved one. Either way, TikTok recommends trying a technique called “The Savings Ladder.”
The basic idea is that you find out how much this gift costs and then look at how much money you have in your savings account, checking account, or whatever other account you primarily use for expenditures. You must decide how much you should have in that account before you feel ready to splurge on this item.
You might feel like you need to have twice as much in your account as the gift costs before you’re ready to drop a chunk of money on it. Perhaps you want to have four times that amount. Whatever you decide, you won’t buy that gift until you’ve reached that savings goal. This method encourages you to get what you most want and retain enough in your account so that you won’t feel the pinch when you buy it.
2. The $5 Bill Method
Maybe you work in an industry where you get cash tips. If so, the $5 Bill Savings Method might help you out this holiday season. The notion behind this viral video is that when you get a $5 bill as a tip, you save it rather than spend it. You can stow all of these bills somewhere safe in your house. You might do this for a couple of months heading into one of the major holidays.
Just before you get to that holiday, you can see how much you’ve saved in $5 bills and use that money on a big gift for yourself or a loved one. If you feel like you can save cash tips of a different denomination, you might try that as well.
3. The End-of-Month Savings Envelope
This concept involves paying your bills each month and then taking any extra cash you have afterward and putting it in an envelope. You should try not to spend any of that money unless you have a legitimate emergency.
When you approach a holiday and want to buy yourself or a loved one a significant gift, you can use the cash you have in that envelope. This is another TikTok savings method that relies on your self-control.
Which of These Methods Will Work for You?
If you work in a profession with a cash tipping policy, you might employ the $5 Bill Method. Maybe you like the idea of saving your extra money after you’ve paid your bills in an envelope instead. Perhaps setting aside double or triple the amount in a bank account that a big gift costs will make you feel comfortable enough to pay for it. TikTok swears by all of these strategies. Just figure out which one seems to make the most sense and then give it a try.