So, the holiday season is here again. This could be a good or bad thing depending on your financial situation. If you’re like me, then this time of year can be extra stressful, on your sanity and your wallet. Double whammy right there.
I get it. You don’t want to disappoint loved ones, especially when you know they’re really into the gift giving spirit this year, but you also don’t want to take out a second mortgage on your house just to be able to put presents under the tree.
Tis the season to go broke, right? WRONG!! There’s actually plenty of ways for you to still be the best Santa your family has ever seen without breaking your wallet to do so. Here are a couple of things I’ve done throughout the years to budget my Christmas spending.
- Draw Names
This particular gift giving method is especially great for big families, which I happen to have. Bigger families mean that there’s more people you have to buy for. Well, not anymore! Drawing names allows everyone to receive a gift but you only have to buy one gift, which is for whoever’s name you draw. I really like this form of gift giving because there’s less pressure on me to go berserk spending tons of money on every member of my family. Between my family and my husband’s family there would be 15 people I would have to buy gifts for. That’s crazy!
This is so great for families that can’t afford gifts for every single person. Our family will usually draw names on Thanksgiving when we’re all together.
- Use Discount Codes
Shopping online is such a huge thing nowadays. I feel like way more people would prefer to shop online versus in retail stores, especially if they can still get the same deal or discount.
A great way to save money on gifts during the holiday season is to use discount codes when shopping online. Many websites out there like couponfollow.com or RetailMeNot.com will provide major discounts on shopping with a code at purchase.
If you already have a place you want to shop at or a specific gift in mind, then check out these sites to get some great discounts on gifts. Some of these discounts might not even be advertised in the stores yet, so it’s important to go online first and check out the deals before you waste time and energy going into a whole bunch of retail stores.
- Ebates
How would you like to get cash back for the purchases you make online? Sound good? Of course, it does! You’re already going to be shopping, so you might as well make some money back on all those gifts you’re getting, right?
Shopping through Ebates allows you earn cash back on the purchases you make. You can also shop major retailers such as Target, Kohls, Walmart, Macys, Amazon, Ulta and so many more.
I use Ebates sometimes to do my everyday shopping, especially when I know I’m not going to have time to get to the store, or when I have a huge shopping list. Mama needs that cash back, know what I’m saying? This method of shopping will be extra useful around the holiday season this year when I need to go gift shopping but don’t wanna deal with the crowds or long lines.
- Make a List
There’s been too many times when I’ve just showed up at a store not knowing what I’m looking for. I’ll usually wonder from store to store getting gift ideas, but never really buy anything. I end up wasting so much time and energy just looking around trying to figure out what kind of gift the person I’m shopping for would really like. Aint nobody got time for that!
Make a list before you go out shopping of possible gift ideas and the price range you want to stay in for each person. Having a list already prepared and setting a realistic budget will not only help you get your shopping done much faster, but it will also be a lot less overwhelming.
If your family is drawing names, make sure each person writes down a couple of gift ideas on their paper that they would like to receive. This could include and actual gift that they want or a store that they like to shop at.
This takes a lot of the guess work out of what to get your secret Santa for Christmas. This helps me out so much when I draw any of the guys names. Guys are so much harder to shop for, right?
- Buy Group or Couple Gifts
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with getting one gift for two people. Every year my husband and I get a gift that’s for the both of us to use.
If you’ve got couples in your family or any children with siblings, then I suggest pairing up gifts. You can get each couple a gift that they can share, like a gift card to their favorite restaurant, tickets to the movies or a sports event, or maybe something for their home like a wine rack (I got my sister and her husband this last one and they loved it!).
Kids with siblings are used to sharing their toys anyways, so buying a really cool toy for all the kids to share shouldn’t be a big deal.
Buying couple’s gifts or gifts for the kids to share is a great way to manage your budget while holiday shopping.
- Don’t Buy for Yourself
This one is especially hard, trust me. I’m seriously guilty of shopping for myself whenever I go gift shopping for others. I just always seem to find tons of really cool stuff that I must have right then and there (I know I have a problem).
Self-control is the key here. You’ll definitely be able to spend more on gifts for others if you’re not spending money on yourself. Instead, try adding some of these items that you want to your Christmas list. Your Secret Santa will be less stressed about finding you the perfect gift.
So, you see, Christmas doesn’t have to mean you’re going broke. There’s still plenty of resources you can use to save money while you shop for gifts. Let me know if you guys have tried out any of these money saving Christmas tips, or if you’re planning on using them this holiday season. Happy Holidays!