Are you looking to save money for Christmas?Christmas is coming soon, and many of us are started to think about all the Christmas purchases we’ll have to make.
For a lot of people, Christmas is one of the most expensive times of the year. Sadly, many turn this holiday season into big credit card debt, which it is not a wise decision.
During the Holidays, money tends to get tight for a lot of people, and it can be hard to gather everything you need.
However, with a proper plan, saving money for Christmas isn’t impossible, and now is the time to get started! Here are some tips to save money this Christmas season.
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10 Ways to Save Money for Christmas
Create a Christmas Budget
Create a Christmas budget to help you save money for the next holiday season.
Decide how much you will spend for Christmas, divide that amount by the number of months you are planning to budget, and start saving.
You can start with $50 a month and increase that amount over time. If it is too late for you to start a Christmas budget, try to start one as soon as you can for the next Christmas season.
Setting money aside every month for your Christmas purchases will help alleviate the financial stress of the holidays.
Not only that, but you will also know how much money you will spend, and this information will keep you from overspending.
Open a Special Savings Account
Opening a savings account strictly for your Christmas purchases can help you save a lot of money as the Christmas season approaches.
It would be ideal to open a special savings account at the beginning of the year so that you have all year to save up money.
However, you can start your Christmas savings plan at any time of the year. The longer you have to save up money, the more money you will have at Christmas time.
You can also set up a direct deposit and automatically put a portion of your check towards your savings every week.
Save the Change
If you are one of those who likes to keep the spare change all over the house, then take those coins or dollars, head to the bank, and deposit that money into your Christmas account.
Also, you can use your phone to help you save money! You can do this with Ibotta which is one of my favorite money-saving apps.
Ibotta is a free app that allows you to earn cashback for your purchases. You can use it when you buy groceries, drugstore products, clothing, you can even use it when you put gas in your car!
If you are not using Ibotta you are missing a lot! last month I was able to withdraw over $200 from my Ibotta account!
A great idea could be to use your Ibotta cash back money for Christmas! Definitely, this is my favorite way to save money really fast.
You can get a FREE $10 Welcome Bonus by just signing up through this link.
Don’t Spend as Much
Above I talked about how you can create a budget for Christmas. However, if the holidays are approaching fast, one way to save money for Christmas is not to spend as much.
Write everyone’s name on an envelope and create a budget for their gift.
Let’s say you only want to spend $20 on each person. Put $20 in their envelope. Once the $20 is gone, you can’t spend any more on that person. It is wonderful to get gifts at Christmas time, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a ton of money.
Make a Shopping List
Create a shopping list of everything that you intend to buy for the holidays. This will ensure that you buy only the necessary items you really need.
By sticking to a list, you will be able to budget your savings and know how much to spend on gift-giving and products you’ll need to host a holiday celebration.
Making a shopping list is a great way to hold yourself accountable. If it’s not on your list, don’t buy it.
Shop Online
Shopping online will help you save a little extra this holiday season. Websites like Rakuten are great for saving money when shopping online.
With Rakuten you get cash back for using its site and shopping online like you normally would. Get $10 for signing up for Rakuten with my link here.
Swagbucks is another great website that will give you cash back on your purchases. It has over 1,500 retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, and more.
You also get access to exclusive deals, coupons, and up to 20% off when you shop at your favorite stores. Get $5 when you sign up for Swagbucks with my link here.
Keep in mind that many online retailers offer free shipping throughout the year after spending a specific amount of money.
As Christmas nears, more offers for free shipping will start popping up, no matter how much you spend!
Staying home to do your shopping will also keep you from spending your money on fuel and fast-food restaurants that seem so convenient as you rush to get your shopping done.
Take Advantage of Sales
The weeks leading up to Christmas are full of amazing sales. Check the newspaper weekly to see if there is anything on your list for a discounted price.
Two of the biggest shopping days of the year are just after Thanksgiving: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The savings during these two days can be substantial!
If you have an account with Amazon, check out its lightning deals and take advantage of Amazon’s Prime services.
If you don’t know yet, the advantage of an Amazon Prime membership is, in a nutshell, that you can get FREE two-hour, same-day, or two-day shipping on over millions of eligible items sold on Amazon.
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Shop Early
Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be done right before Christmas. Many retailers drop their prices and have sales during different times of the year.
If you happen upon a great deal and your budget allows it, take advantage of the opportunity and shop early.
By doing this, you could avoid the risk of your product being sold out or finding it later at a higher price.
Many stores place seasonal markups on their products,so try to get a jump on your shopping sooner rather than later. Some people shop right after Christmas.
This is when they stock up on all the great deals from the after-Christmas season. There is no shame in hiding presents in a closet.
Get Creative with DIY Projects
Create DIY gifts to reduce your Christmas expenses. There are hundreds of ideas on Pinterest or YouTube that you can do and turn them into nice presents for your loved ones!
Homemade gifts are a great way to show people you love them this holiday season. Plus, if you have the right marketing skills, you can easily sell some of these items in places like Etsy.
Earn Extra Money
Find ways to make extra money for Christmas. This strategy can relieve the stress of being tight on money when Christmas season is just around the corner.
If you need some ideas on how to make extra money fast, check my post on 20+ different ways to make $100 a day!
Although the ideal situation is to start making extra cash months before the Christmas season, you can try different ideas to earn that extra money for Christmas at any time.
Saving money for Christmas is something we all want to do. Unless you have rolls of cash up your sleeve, these tips are for you.
Keep in mind that Christmas is a great time to show others that you care, not just drop hundred-dollar bills in their laps. Your heart is going to be fuller by doing good than by filling your shopping cart.
Recommended articles:
- How to Save Money When You Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck
- 70+ Amazing Ways To Save Hundreds Every Month
- 8 Simple Steps to Save Over $7000 This Year
