The holiday season is fast-approaching and it’s never too early to begin looking for tips for saving money this holiday season. We all have big to-do lists and should buy plenty of gifts for families and friends. So why not begin making a plan of attack for your big list of cards, gifts, food and travel now so you won’t be exhausted at the last minute? Here are 11 tips on how to save money this holiday season!
1. Stock up
You should begin stocking up on staples when they’re on sale, if you’re going to invite guests for a dinner. You can be very lucky and get a lot of discounts on drinks and canned goods as well as boxed stuff before the holiday season; moreover, you’ll have more time to check for sales and use your coupons. You can always donate the stuff you bought to your community food bank, if you have too much of it!
2. Don’t pay retail
A very good idea to save money during the holidays is to get away from paying constant retail prices on things. You should always try to look for sales and discounts no matter if it’s a box of cookies or a plane ticket. It’s nice to go through cashback sites and order items online or search for promo codes where you can get free shipping as well a discount. All you need is to be more persistent and always keep your eyes open for good sales.
3. Call and write
It’s often when your family members or friends live out of state or out of the country, and it’s better to send them not a paper card but e-card. You can always gain e-cards for free or you can receive a membership to an e-card site and set off all the e-cards you like! You can also catch up with your loved ones using Skype or just call them.
4. Use your rewards
One more amazing money saving tip is to use your credit card rewards. Some credit card companies provide travel rebates or priviledges and you can use your points towards gift cards or gifts any time. In case you don’t have a credit card, you can sign up for survey sites and earn money through Amazon gift cards or PayPal. Usually it takes long time to earn, but if you begin early, you can have many points through these sites!
5. Start early
These pieces of advice about saving money this holiday season are all about an early start. If you have more money and time or at least have some more suppleness with your money, it will be easier than dealing with mid-season on last minute. Sure you can’t plan everything beforehand, but such things like wrapping paper, planning a menu, finding holiday cards, making travel arrangement, etc. you can think over and plan now.
6. Comparison shop
Getting a good bargain is such an amazing feeling for me. The only trick is that you can’t be everywhere at the same time looking for the best thing to buy. Knowing that you can be only in one place, just download price comparison apps and all the work will be done for you, and you won’t need to run throughout the town searching for the lowest price. You can do this for all the things including gifts and travel plans. Try such apps as Shop Advisor, Red Laser, Price Grabber, Shop Savvy.
7. Buy out of season
It might seem a bit weird, but purchasing seasonal things out of season is the best way to get nice discounts on holiday items. Such things as wrapping paper, stockings, artificial tree, cards and more you can buy at half price or more than half off. Definitely, you’ll have to await next year to use them, but you’ll get some important savings this way.
8. DIY decor
When you do DIY decor it can help you to save a lot of money. When you are in a shop that sells holiday décor do you think of recreating some items? Perhaps you can and yours will be more special since you found the time to create it. Enjoy a crafternoon with family or friends and save money while you have fun!
9. Make lists
I always make lists! Use those incredible list making skills and begin making lists of things to do, a gift giving list and items that you need to buy along with how much money you would like to spend. After that, try to follow it as much as you can. These lists aren’t constant and you can always add or delete any item from the list.
10. What’s your status
Wether you’re a veteran, senior, student or member of certain clubs you can easily get lower prices on lodging, travel as well as other nice stuff like clothing, technology and more. All you need is just to search for it and see which companies are providing discounts! Don’t you think it’s wonderful and simple?
11. DIY gifts
When you make your own gifts you save lots of money. I personally love every handmade gift I have ever got. That means a lot, when you take the time to sit and create something for someone you care about, even if it’s not the most fashionable or finest thing. Popular ideas for DIY gifts are jams or jellies, scarves or gloves, body scrubs, personalized mugs, jewelry or cookies.
The idea of saving money during the holiday season needs some efforts, but is really doable. We won’t be involved into holiday madness and purchase all the items at retail price at the store. You can use so many different pieces of advice and I believe my tips gave you some ideas on how you can do it the best. Please share how do you save money during the holidays?