Christmas is coming soon and hopefully, you’ve planned ahead and saved some money. It’s such a great time of year because the family gets together, but it’s expensive at the same time. In all honesty, you might not be spending a lot per gift but with 10 people to shop for it can get heavy on your wallet. I believe if you know how and where to save money when shopping, you can cut down your bill enormously. Over the years, I’ve compiled a list of money-saving hacks which I use each time the Christmas season comes around. With my family growing it’s important I start saving money right away so I can afford presents. Even if I don’t save as much as I’d like to, however, I can still reduce my spending with these awesome hacks.
I’ve also done some research looking for other great money-saving hacks online. So with my own ideas and more from the internet, here’s what we’ll be discussing today –
- Plan for Affordability
- Cashback or Card Benefits
- Amazon Hidden Discounts
- Look Around the House
- Shop Abroad (not a joke)
- Give to Charity
Let’s jump right in, and if you have some additional tips, please mention them in the comment box.
1. Plan for Affordability
One of the biggest mistakes we make while shopping is getting caught up in emotions. This means we end up purchasing items we can rarely afford. This doesn’t always have to be the case. Ask yourself this question – Does an expensive gift really show how much I care? We often want to buy expensive gifts because of the sentimentality of the holidays, but then we’re scrambling to find ways to pay the bills.
Just remember you don’t need an expensive gift to show someone how much you care, especially when you’ve been showing them all year long. Like Paris Lees said, if someone doesn’t understand that you don’t have the cash to buy them a gift, they don’t deserve one. Next time, buy a gift that you can afford because you’re thinking about them, not because you want to impress. If you are out to impress you may find yourself in a difficult situation afterward.
2. Cashback or Card Benefits
When cash is tight there are lots of options out there to give you a helping hand. For example, if you really need money you can always apply for a loan or credit card. I would avoid loans because of the higher interest rates, but credit cards aren’t a bad alternative especially with cashback options being available through many. For example, American Express is currently running the shop small program aimed at helping local and small businesses. The program is a great money saver because they’ll give you $10 back when you spend $20 or more at a small or local business. If you can join such a program and find local shops to purchase presents from for Christmas, you’ll be able to save a nice amount of money.
3. Amazon Hidden Discounts
Many online shopping sites have tricks up their sleeves to pull customers away from street shops. For example, Amazon runs lightening deals to entice people into buying heavily discounted products. It’s worth keeping an eye on these during the lead up to Christmas. You never know what you might see. Plus, Amazon’s shipping is pretty good so you don’t have to worry about getting your items in time for Christmas.
4. Look Around the House
This might sound kind of flaky but I have so many gifts laying around in my house I haven’t used. Some are home electronics, beauty items, baby gear, and clothing. Be selective if you decide to give these away because you want to make sure they are still in style and can be used. You needn’t tell the receiver that it’s an unwanted gift from someone else if it’s something they will enjoy, who cares!
5. eBay
Most people think of eBay and think it’s full of second-hand items, it’s actually not! It’s full of brand new items as well at, more often than not, cheaper prices than you would find in a store. Just make sure when you’re searching that you filter search results to be new items only. The website bidvoy is really handy for checking the price an item typical sells for on eBay, so you can quickly compare prices to stores to see how much you could save.
Apart from the savings you can get on eBay, another great feature is that your purchases are protected. So if an item you ordered doesn’t turn up or it’s not as described, you can easily get a refund for it.
6. Brand Discount Stores
If you want to get a particular brand item for someone, instead of going direct to the brands’ store or website, try going to an outlet or store that sells multiple brands all under one roof. These places are typically cheaper and often carry last years stock or items that are selling a bit slower. That doesn’t mean the receiver won’t love them though, so give it a go!
The most important thing to remember at Christmas is that it’s a time to be with loved ones and enjoy each others company. Presents are great but don’t let them dominate the holiday.
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