10 Holiday Savings Tips to Stretch Your Holiday Budget
Between your friends, family and coworkers – gift giving can become quite the endeavor during the holidays. Not only does it take a lot of time and effort, the dollar signs seem to add up so quickly! Luckily, with a bit of planning, we’ve got a few tips to help you give more for less this Christmas:
- Search for discounts online before you buy.
If you’ve already got an idea of what you’re looking for, keep an eye out for online coupons and promotions that you can apply to your purchase. Many retailers will honor online promotions in store as well. Sites like RetailMeNot make it easy to find the best discounts by listing coupon codes for various popular retail sites.
- Let the sales come to you.
Sign up for emails and texts from your favorite retailers and comparison shopping websites so you can stay on top of holiday discounts in your area.
- Be an informed shopper.
It takes a bit of research to know you’re getting a good price on a product. The gift you’re looking for may be available at several retailers, so comparison shopping is a great way to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck! PriceGrabber, Shopzilla and ShopAdvisor are just some of the tools you can utilize to hunt down the best price.
- Make use of rewards points.
Many credit cards and retail stores have some sort of reward program that can be used for cash back and/or deals on future purchases. Consider using your available points to “purchase” a gift or two for someone on your list!
- Find group discounts.
Sites like Groupon and Living Social offer deals and discounts that can help stretch your dollar. Just be sure to read the fine print of these offers, noting expiration dates and restrictions to make sure they compliment your gift-giving plans.
- Save on shipping.
Avoid shipping costs to truly maximize your budget. Numerous online retailers omit shipping during the holiday season. If not, check to see if you can have your items shipped to the nearest store where you can pick them up for free!
- Take advantage of bonus offers.
Pay attention to special incentives for your purchases, like BOGO offers or free gifts. Perhaps if you buy a bottle of perfume for your mother, you can score a free make-up bag. That sounds like the perfect gift for your preteen niece!
- Purchase gift cards at a reduced rate.
You know your nephew wants nothing more than a GameStop gift card so he can buy the latest games. Online sites and shopping clubs such as CardCash and Card Pool offer gift cards for less than retail price!
- Regift items you can live without.
Throughout the year you may have received gifts for your birthday, anniversary or house warming party that still lay in a box. It may be something your grandmother would adore! Of course, be strategic about who you regift to (you don’t want to give your aunt something your grandmother bought you right in front of her!)
- Consider subscriptions for the readers on your list.
If you’ve got someone on your gift list who loves to read, consider buying them a subscription to a publication rather than purchasing new hardcover books.
Did you know you can save money by bundling your insurance policies? That’s #11 on our Holiday Savings list!