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Christmas Shopping On A Budget: 15 Holiday Saving Tips

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15  Holiday tips to help when you are Christmas shopping on a budget.

Christmas shopping tips to save money and still buy great gifts for everyone on your list!

 

smart tips for Christmas shopping on a budget

 

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and of course, presents!

If you’re like most people, you want to make sure your family has a wonderful Christmas.

If you can’t afford Christmas, then you probably start worrying about how much you’ll spend in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

With inflation on the rise, it might even feel like the cost of the holiday is getting out of control.

Don’t fret, I am here to help you with Christmas shopping on a budget!

That’s right true money-saving tips, that will show how to save money on Christmas gifts.

I’m sure that you are very excited about Christmas, and are looking for the perfect gift for your loved ones.

But with the prices of items increasing it can be hard to find something within your holiday budget.

If you have a whole list of people to go Christmas gift shopping for, then you may be stressing over your tight budget.

Luckily, this post is here to provide some Christmas shopping tips on how to save money and still get a great gift!

To make sure you have enough money saved up for your Christmas shopping budget, you need to be more stringent on what you spend and what you save.

Before we even go into these tips, you need to make sure that your mindset is ready to start saving and cutting back on expenses. 

With a little creativity and planning, you can do Christmas shopping on a budget and buy for everyone on your list.

Now let’s get started with these Christmas shopping tips on how you can start saving some cash for the holidays now!

 

How to do Christmas Shopping on a budget

 

How To Do Christmas Shopping On A Budget

1. Start Saving For Christmas Early

The sooner you start saving for Christmas, the easier it will be to reach your goal.

If you wait until December to start saving, you’ll likely end up dipping into your savings account or going into debt to pay for gifts.

Plus, starting early also gives you more time to take advantage of sales!

Now, this is a no-brainer, but if you are reading this on December 23rd, then you need to skip to the next money-saving tip.  

2. Set A Realistic Goal For Your Christmas Savings Account

When it comes time to start saving for Christmas, the first step is to set a realistic goal.

Once you have a goal in mind, the next step is to figure out how you’re going to save. 

Consider how much you can realistically put away each week or month, and set your goal accordingly.

If you have a little extra room in your budget, you can set up a dedicated Christmas savings account and have a certain amount automatically transferred from your checking account each month.

Check to see if your bank or credit union offers any incentives for joining a Christmas Savings Club.

Or, if you’re really disciplined, you can stash your cash in a Mason jar or cookie jar and only dip into it when you need to buy gifts.

Whatever method you choose, the key is to make sure your money is inaccessible until it’s time to start Christmas shopping.

3. Automate Your Christmas Savings

If you don’t trust yourself to stash money, then the best way to save money for your Christmas shopping budget is to just automate it. 

One of the best ways to save money is to have it automatically withdrawn from your paycheck and deposited into your savings account.

This way, you’ll never even see the money and you’ll be less likely to spend it.

You can arrange for this to happen through your employer or your bank.

Another option is to set up a direct deposit from your checking account into your savings account.

This can be done online or at your local bank branch.

Whatever method you choose, automating your savings is a great way to ensure that you always have money set aside for emergencies or for big-ticket items that you want to purchase down the road.

 

Christmas Shopping Tips To Save Money

 

4. Keep Track Of Your Spending

To ensure you have enough money saved up for your Christmas shopping budget, you need to be more stringent on what you spend and what you save.

Anyone will tell you that tracking your spending is a crucial part of keeping your budget even during Christmas. 

To stay festive, I created a free printable Christmas savings tracker and expense tracker that you can download!

Plus, grab these free budget printables, that you can use all year to stay on top of your finances. 

Or if you really want to get serious about your finances you can get the Financial Freedom Planner

5. Have A No Spend November

A No Spend November Challenge is a money-saving challenge that many people take on to save money for Christmas.

The challenge is not just about not spending money but also about finding ways to have fun and enjoy the month without spending any money.

The benefits of No Spend November are that you will be able to save up a lot of money for Christmas and you will be able to enjoy the month without worrying about your finances.

If you are up to the challenge read these 9 tips to have a successful No Spend November!

Plus, use these 50 frugal hacks to help you save money while still enjoying life!

Plus, for free entertainment and quality time with your loved ones add some of these Christmas Bucket List Ideas That Are FREE to your holiday itinerary. 

6. Cut Back On Expenses

In order to save more money for your Christmas shopping budget, you’ll need to cut back on some of your expenses.

Take a look at your budget and see where you can trim the fat.

Instead of going out to eat, you could cook more meals at home.

Eating out is not only expensive, but it’s often unhealthy as well.

Batch cooking or preparing ahead can help you save both time and money.

If you cancel your cable TV subscription, you could still watch your favorite shows by signing up for a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu.

You could also read more books or take up a new hobby.

There are many ways to save money, so find what works best for you and stick with it!

During the months leading up to the holidays, use these frugal life hacks to save money on everyday living. 

Stop buying items from this list of 50 things you stop buying to save more money. 

7. Get A Creative Side Hustle

There are all sorts of ways to save money for the Christmas season.

Have a garage sale, sell items on eBay, or start a side hustle to earn some extra cash.

Get creative and come up with ideas that work for you!

Related Post: 20 Genius Ways To Make Money Without A Job

For example, you could start a holiday baking business and sell your treats to friends, family, and neighbors.

Or, you could offer to do holiday shopping for other people in exchange for a fee.

Make some great tips during the holiday season delivering food with DoorDash.     

Think outside the box and come up with ways to make extra money that fit your skills and interests.

With a little effort, you can easily come up with the cash you need to make your holiday dreams come true!

 

How To Do Christmas Shopping On A Budget

 

8. Make A List & Check It Twice

Every year to help save money, I always make a list of the people I am giving gifts to.

This list includes gift ideas that are within my Christmas budget. 

Not only does it keep me organized but it helps me with my Christmas shopping budget. 

Making a list of Christmas gifts will help you avoid impulse buys and keep your spending in check.

This way, you can be intentional about your gift giving and only buy what is on the list.

This will also help you avoid spending too much money on a single person, which can be tempting during this season of giving.

9. Make Your Purchases Count

When you do start Christmas shopping on a budget, make every purchase count!

When purchasing gifts and Christmas decor, be sure to use Rakuten to get cash back for every purchase. 

Plus, you can get $30 just for signing up for FREE!

Also, make sure you have the Honey extension running on your Google Chrome browser.

It will help you find the best deals and promo codes for the Christmas gifts you are shopping for. 

Then, after every purchase, scan your receipts on CoinOut

CoinOut is a free money-saving app from Shark Tank, that gives you money back just for scanning your receipts. 

10. Take Advantage Of Christmas Sales

If you really looking for a great deal on expensive gifts, then you may want to wait until the holiday sales on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the best days to buy gifts for your family members. 

You can save up to 80% on many of the items that you want to buy.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving in Canada and USA.

It is a day when many retailers offer special deals on their products.

Cyber Monday is the Monday after Black Friday and it is also a day when retailers offer the best deals on their products online.

That is why most people do their holiday spending on these two days. 

The ads usually come out several weeks before the sale, so you can plan your holiday shopping accordingly. 

Last year, according to the National Retail Federation, Black Friday was the second-largest online spending day in U.S. history so the deals may even be better this year. 

Before Black Friday even begins, create an email account just for your favorite retailers. 

Sign up to receive email notifications from all of the retailers you are hoping to get gifts from.

This way you can get notified about all the Black Friday sales and may even get insider perks and discounts.

I suggest creating a free email account with google just for retailers, so you can keep track of all of the ads and deals.

11. Get Free Christmas Gift Cards

There are so many ways to get free Christmas gift cards

There are sites that let you earn gift cards for taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, and even walking!

If you start early, and I mean now, you can earn enough gift cards to buy all of the gifts on your shopping list and still keep your budget. 

Read about these legit ways to earn free gift cards to put money towards your Christmas shopping budget!

12. Make Homemade Gifts

One of the best ways to save money on Christmas is to make homemade gifts.

They are creative and thoughtful and they are also cheaper than buying them from the store.

For many people, a handmade gift means so much more to them than anything you could buy. 

If you are crafty, you could make handmade gifts to give out and that could really help you save money this Christmas. 

If you aren’t that crafty or just don’t have the time, make this DIY Happy Jar gift.

Everyone will love a little jar of happiness!

13. Make A Game Plan

So once you have decided on how much your holiday budget is and who you will be buying gifts for, it’s time to make a game plan for how to do Christmas shopping on a budget.

Go through your gift list and holiday expenses.

Figure out the amount of money you have saved up for your Christmas shopping

Look at all the sales ads, and decide what stores will have the best deals on the gifts you want. 

If buying online, make sure to use your online shopping apps like Rakuten to get discount codes and cash back. 

Another tip if purchasing online is to try to combine your purchases so you save on shipping costs, or to buy enough to qualify for free shipping.

 

Christmas Shopping On A Budget

 

14. Be Reasonable With Christmas Shopping

We are in the season of giving, and with that comes the expectation of receiving.

This is a time when we are bombarded by advertisements for gifts and deals, and it can be hard to resist.

But have you ever thought about how much money you could save if you just bought one gift for everyone on your list?

It’s not only about saving money, it’s also about being reasonable.

The holidays are a time when many people feel pressured by the expectations of others to spend more than they can afford or want to spend.

It’s also a time when many people feel guilty about not spending enough on their loved ones.

As a mom, I understand that we want to buy our kids a lot of gifts for Christmas, but maybe you should try to Christmas 4-gift rule.

Not only will you save money, but it can keep your house uncluttered and keep your kids from being spoiled

15. Skip The Wrapping Paper

Consumers spend over 1 billion a year on wrapping paper.

And where does that paper go, to the landfills!

Save your money and skip the wrapping paper this year. 

If you must wrap your gifts, then buy the cheap wrapping paper at Dollar Store. 

Or find some creative alternatives to wrapping paper. 

The good news is that most people don’t even care about wrapping paper, they just care about the gift.

Plus if you gift money or gift cards you don’t even need wrapping paper. 

Related Post: 20 Fun Ways To Gift Cash and Gift Cards

Christmas Shopping Tips To Save Money

 

smart Christmas Shopping Tips To Save Money

Christmas is the time of year when people spend a lot of money.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. 

There are many ways to save money during the Christmas season, from making your own gifts to buying second-hand items or using coupons and vouchers. 

The key is to plan ahead and make sure that you don’t overspend this holiday season.

The holidays can be a difficult time because of the financial pressure that comes with the season.

It is easy to go into debt and it can take a long time to recover.

Be sure to use these Christmas shopping tips to avoid starting next year with high credit card debt this Christmas season.

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