Christmas will be here before you know it, and if you are like me, you tend to procrastinate until there are only a few weeks to shop for gifts. My husband is even worse. He likes to do his shopping on Christmas Eve day. No joke! Note to self: “The early bird gets the worm!” Waiting till the last minute costs more in the long run. Retailers bank on the fact that procrastinators are not in any position to bargain shop and that they are frantically willing to pay almost any amount to have something to put under the tree. Even if the selection is quite picked over, they know that dawdlers will not leave the store empty handed.
Thanksgiving precedes Christmas and can become an expensive event, especially if travel is involved. Airfares and car rentals coupled with hotel expenses can run a price tag sky high. Even if there are no travel plans included, there is that scrumptious traditionally huge meal for extended family and friends. Have you checked the price of groceries lately? To further increase the color green leaving my wallet, we have half of our family’s birthdays during this same time period. That is even more gifts to buy. Lastly, let me mention that in my state the car tag is due to renew on your birthday, so that fee is added in the mix too. Ugh! So, let me share with you some of my winning tips that I use to stem the flow of cash mass exiting my bank account this time of year. I guarantee these tips will keep some of your hard earned money in your pocket so you can eat something other than PBJ sandwiches after the holiday season passes.
- Shop sales NOW for the shelf stable items you will need for holiday gatherings. Buy a few items here and there on sale to increase your savings by up to 50% when you take advantage of bogos.
- Buy one or two popular gift cards a month starting no later than June. Start earlier if you have a large number of people to gift.
- Start Christmas shopping during the Back to School Sales for clothing and office supplies.
- Search for online coupons like a villian to get free shipping or a higher percent off.
- Craft your own gift tags and personalized ornaments
- Make a Christmas list and check it twice to create a holiday budget that you won’t deviate from.
- Find an accountability partner who will double as a look out for the gift items you want to buy
This was very informative & helpful. Love the ideas too. Thanks for sharing. Look forward to more posts.
Thank you! Glad it was helpful!