The gift giving and decorating of the season can make the holidays expensive. Fortunately, there are ways you can save money without sacrificing any on style. Here are a few tips to help you make the season a little more joyful and a little less expensive.
Coupons are Great
Coupons are one of the easiest ways to save money this time of year. When flyers arrive in the mail from your local toy store, clip out the coupons and put them in a bag in the car. When you arrive at the store to make the purchase, you’ll already have the coupon in hand.
Online Coupon Codes
Bring coupons into the electronic age by looking for online coupon codes when making a purchase. Search for online coupon codes with your favorite retailers before making the final purchase.
Rewards
If you have a card that offers rewards, put it to good use during the holidays. Make your purchases on the card for the cash back savings. However, you should take care to make sure the charges are paid in full or interest will destroy your savings.
Group Gifts
You and your siblings can each buy your parents a small gift, or you can pool your resources and give them something really special and amazing. There are some ways to make this project more successful and less stressful. Be clear with the parties involved about what you are considering purchasing and what the cost per person will be. Be receptive to ideas for other gifts that might be a little more affordable. If someone wants to participate, but can’t chip in as much financially, consider having them contribute by actually picking up the gift and wrapping it.
There’s an App for That
Put shopping apps to work for you. Scan bar codes with ShopSavvy to make a wish list, compare prices and receive price alerts if items go on sale. Use GasBuddy to help you find the lowest gas price around, a savings that can be enjoyed throughout the year. And KeyRing provides you with one convenient place to store all your store reward cards.
Budgets
Creating different budgets can help you keep things in perspective. Have one budget for the decorations, another for your holiday gatherings and another one for gifts. This will help you keep the expenses in line without sacrificing too much from any one area.
Buy Bulk
There are times when bulk buying pays off. Order Christmas cards in bulk and hit the buying clubs for the paper products you will use at your next gathering. This is also the best way to buy the sugar and supplies for your holiday baking.
Recycle and Get Creative
Don’t be too quick to give in to the urge to buy new decorations. Choose to reuse the ones that you already have in the attic. Let the kids put new life in plain glass balls by putting some paint inside them and creating gorgeous swirled patterns. Pull out the old Christmas cards that you have from previous years, cut off the backs and use them to wrap presents, decorate the house or string them on the tree.
There are many ways to save money during the holidays this year. Watch your budget, take advantage of reward programs and clip coupons to increase your savings. Recycling will also allow you spend your limited funds in other areas while apps will help you find the best deals available.
Author Thomas Hathaway is a financial consultant and suggests there are times when a payday loan may come in handy when you have financial urgency prior to your regular pay date.
