Money Saving Ideas for the Holidays
When I told my husband that I was planning to write about this topic this week, he thought I was being a little premature with the subject matter… money saving for Christmas. So many people shop early and are done, but then there are those of us who wait until the week before to buy our presents. Personally, I loved how I did it last year and thought I’d pass along some of my money saving and making ideas to you.
Have a garage sale in November – Ok, so I know that not everyone lives in Houston like I do, where it’s usually balmy and comfortable in November, but still… it’s so worth it! A few of my friends and I had a large sale last year and I made over $200 that I dedicated to Christmas gifts. It was a great idea because we didn’t have to spend any of our money out of our checking account (or savings) for gifts. It also cleared up a lot of room for new toys and clothes for the kids.
Shop the sales now and keep your receipts - Last year I bought a musical play table at Target for $45 and a few weeks later it went on sale at Toys R Us. I got their Big Book and found an extra $5 off coupon, so I got the table for $15 cheaper. I returned the one I bought at Target and ended up spending less money than I had originally thought. Don’t be afraid to return something if you find it cheaper at another store after your original purchase.
Take advantage of coupons – Some stores are having fantastic sales and even have some pretty amazing coupons for toys in the month of November. Target recently published an online site with over 50 toy coupons. Other coupon sites also have toy coupons that are good through the end of this month. In this economy, no one is going to think less of you for being frugal!
Shop resale stores and garage sales - Resale stores and places like Half Price Books are great for those items that don’t necessarily need a box. You can always find some great children’s books at garage sales, too. (Be sure to disinfect the books if you buy them used).
Sign up for online giveaways – You never know how lucky you can be! Why not take 1 minute to sign up for a Wii giveaway or for a free laptop? It would be a great gift if you win! Sites like Freebies4Mom offer giveaways and links to other giveaways daily.
The best thing to remember is to have fun with it. Find a way to save that is fun for you. If you are a catalog shopper, flip the pages and compare. If you prefer to shop online, make sure you know the store’s return policy before you buy if you think you might return your purchases. And don’t forget, your kids will enjoy the holidays no matter how much you spend on them as long as you are there! They don’t need to know you paid less for their new game than their friend’s mom did! 
Happy Shopping!
What are your money saving rituals? Do you have any special plans this year for keeping Christmas spending under control?
Photo courtesy of bowbrick
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Thanks for the tips! And it’s not too early! I’m gearing up for holiday shopping already. I do a lot of online shopping and price comparisions before I shop every year. I have stumbled upon some AMAZING deals that way. If you make a list of the gifts you’d like to get for people in advance, it’s easier to have your eyes open for sales.
Lists are great ideas!
They also prevent impulse buys, one of my weaknesses!
This may need to be the subject of a new post- but what are the secrets to having a successful garage sale? what’s involved in the preparation? how do you price things? etc….
Amy… you can either do a lot or a little for a garage sale. I’ve found that multi-family sales work best b/c you have more stuff. Have a few big ticket items (for instance, we have two tvs and two computers that my hubby refurbished (love having a hubby IT guy)). Just be organized… that’s the key. Have kitchen things in one spot, electronics in one, clothes in one (and have them separated by kids, mens and womens). Pricing is totally up to you. I struggle with that a little on some things. It’s great if you have tables or can borrow some. As far as advertising, you can do it the cheap/free way (signs in the yard or neighborhood a few days in advance) or you can put a small add in your local paper. Also, make sure you have lots of change. At least $75 in bills and coins for making change. If you do a multi-family sale, you can each price things how you want, just use a diff colored marker and keep track at the check-out. Hope this helps!!! Here’s a fun site to check out with more tips. http://www.yardsalequeen.com/
I love the idea of a garage sale in November with the money being dedicated to christmas! I think I might give it a try…my husband would LOVE it if we could fund our gift buying that way. Thanks for sharing!