New Mom Vibes

Christmas holidays can be a fun, yet very expensive time of the year. Between Christmas decorations, holiday parties and purchasing gifts for family and friends, it seems like you’re swiping your card everyday and before you know it, you’ve spent way more money than you were expecting to.  And the thing is, it happens every year!

If it makes you feel any better, you’re not alone. According to Delloite’s survey, the average U.S. household spends over $1,500 during the Christmas holidays. Do you want to hear something even crazier? The average American’s holiday debt is over $1,200 and has significantly risen over the past couple of years.

I know the thought of going into debt just for Christmas shopping sounds scary but this doesn’t have to be you. I’m here to give you vital, yet practical tips that will help you get through the holiday season without overspending. Here are six fool-proof ways to save money while Christmas shopping.

Know your budget and stick to it

Creating a Christmas budget is the step that most people skip although it’s the most important one. Forgetting to set a budget results in people spending way more on Christmas gifts than they intended to.

Before you even walk into a store or look online, you’ll need to set a realistic budget.  Look at your current financial expenses and determine how much you’ll be able to spend for the holidays. Once you know how much extra money you have, you can set a budget which helps set realistic expectations on where you can shop and how much you can spend on each person.

Plan your gifts

Setting the holiday shopping budget can be the easy part. Sticking to that budget? Not so much. This is where becoming a detailed planner comes in hand. The easiest way to stick to your budget is to break down your budget for each person. 

Create a list of each person you plan on buying gifts for. Then, decide on a budget for each person and write down some ideas that are within that price range.  Having ideas on what to buy before you start shopping can help you stay focused once you’re in the store or shopping online.

Find where and when the deals are

Now that you know who you’re shopping for and your budget for each person, you can start scoping out where the good deals are.  Retailers put out their dates of upcoming sales early on so customers can start preparing. Large retailers such as Walmart and Target start their holiday deals before thanksgiving.

Another great place to shop for Christmas gifts are off-chain retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. This is especially good for apparel, home and beauty products.  Since they offer year-round discounts they don’t have any special deals per say, but you can find something for just about every family member in one store.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is best when shopping for big ticket items such as TV’s laptops and appliances. Whether you shop in-store or online, you’ll find a great deal.  If you’re looking for toys, home goods, and apparel, it’s best to wait for the Christmas deals in December.

Save money while shopping online

There are plenty of apps that assist you with saving money while Christmas shopping. From coupons to cash back rewards, here are some of the best apps to use for saving money:

• The Honey App is a browser extension that helps you find amazing deals by automatically searching for coupons while you shop online. If you have the Honey App, the Honey Gold Rewards Program lets you earn rewards just for shopping.
• RetailMeNot gives you access to online promo codes, printable coupons and cash back rewards on beauty, apparel, travel and more! You can also purchase giftcards for yourself and get instant cash back.
• Rakuten (formerly ebates) offers both online and in-store cash back deals. Just go on Rakuten’s website and search for your store, shop as usual and get cash back. Similar to Honey, you can also download the browser extension to automatically apply coupons at checkout.
• Amazon Prime is a great option if you plan on shopping online and/or last minute.  Prime offers free two-day shipping on prime eligible items.

DIY Christmas Gifts

Do you like DIY and crafting projects? Christmas is the perfect time to make personalized gifts for the ones you love.  Although it may be more time consuming, homemade gifts usually cost less than gifts at a retail store.

Pinterest has a ton of DIY Christmas ideas for you with detailed instructions.  Not only will making Christmas gifts save you money on shopping, DIY gifts add sentimental value.

Combine Gifts

You may have a few friends or family members that have multiple kids. Instead of buying each child an individual gift, you can combine their present and get them one gift that they all will like.  Family games like Twister, Jenga or Apples to Apples are fun gifts that the entire family can enjoy.

You can also do combine gifts for couples. Instead of buying your mother-in-law and father-in-law individual gifts, you can buy them something for their home or a nice glass of wine.  Combining gifts can keep some extra cash in your wallet.

Do you have more ideas? Let me know in the comments below how you plan to save money this holiday season.

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