How to Save Money During Christmas?

The arrival of Father Christmas makes our hearts merry as we think of ways of gifting our near and dear ones. If you are already being pressed by towering debts and skyrocketing expenses, then your gifting options become extremely limited. But worry not as you can still keep rocking around the Christmas tree without adding to your debt count with some thoughtful saving tips that have been listed below:

• Determine a budget – Budgeting is a fail-safe means of staying on Santa’s nice list. You just need to have a spending limit in place and stick to it.
• Shop secondhand – We usually associate thrift store items with tattered clothes, broken toys, and likes. But often people donate slightly used or completely new items to thrift stores. As the saying goes, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure. If you shop carefully, then you can get your hands on some of the choicest of products which your loved ones are going to appreciate. You can buy shoes, books, clothes, home décor, kitchenware, electronics, scarves & gloves from thrift stores.
• Keep track of your expenses – It’s not uncommon for people to spend crazily during Christmas. They often go overboard with their budget and enjoy all fun and games by leaving the worry for months of January. But it always pays to keep tabs on your expenses so that you don’t end up ruining the next month’s budget.
• Purchase in bulk – If your gifting list is a big one, then you can try buying items in bulk to save money on Christmas. While purchasing gifts for large groups, food or snacks are often a preferred choice. You can get them at reasonable rates whether you have a crowded office, a large family, or several friends.
• Time is of the essence – Some people prefer spending quality time together rather than receiving physical gifts. If your friends and relatives choose time over money, then you should spend more time with them whether in person or virtually.
• Get social media-only offers – Brands often shower their most loyal social followers with deals. You should make it a point to check your favorite retailers occasionally during the holiday months. These don’t require anything in return or a minimum purchase threshold.
• Shop early – Rather than waiting for Black Friday sales to initiate your Christmas shopping, keep your eyes open all year long for sales notifications. If you can create a shopping list in advance, then you can grab the offers all year long so that your expenses are spread out properly.
• Choose practicality over price – Gifting items of need to your friends and family are always better than giving redundant objects that look fancy externally. Unwrapping a new pair of slippers or maybe a new toothbrush can be just as exciting as unwrapping a new toy. Most children truly appreciate the love and surprise element behind the gifts rather than the material elements.
• Cut back on gifts – If you have been giving just to give then it’s best to hold a clear conversation with your family about skipping presents this year and rather going for a shared meal.
• Don’t fall into the retail marketing trap – It’s obvious for retailers to post lucrative deals just to entice you enough so that you fall into their trap. You must have come across time-sensitive deals, BOGO offers, free shipping on orders above a certain amount, remarketed coupons sent to your mail, and pop-up ads urging you to buy something extra even when you don’t practically need that. These are designed to make you spend more rather than save. But you should be a responsible shopper at all times by resisting the temptation and sticking to your preset budget.
• Use old gift cards – If you have money left on old gift cards, then you can use them to buy presents. You can also re-gift these cards to people who will appreciate them rather than shredding those little pieces of plastic.
• Book activities in advance – Gifting activity sessions rather than traditional gifts are always preferred by children. But if you want to book the best activities like visits to Santa, Christmas light switch-on, pantomimes, etc. then you should book them in advance. Early bird shoppers always get preferential pricing which is a fraction of the full price paid for attending the event.
• Place early online orders – Modern millennials like shopping from the convenience of their couch. This can help them cross-check prices across different stores without having to venture out of their house. But if you wish to avail yourself of the cheapest online shipping options, then engage in online shopping early enough. The last thing you would want is to have your budget ruined by last-minute rush orders.
• Combine all your orders – Many stores offer to ship free of charge provided you shop for a minimum amount. Suppose you see a Marvel-themed sweatshirt your husband will love but you are below the minimum amount to qualify for free shipping, then keep looking inside the store in search of something on that same website your father or cousins might like. Being thoughtful is the key and you can lower shipping costs by combining orders. Certain retailers offer a ship-to-store option for free without any minimum order requirement. However, you will have to step out of your comfort den to avail yourself of the gift.
• Stick to your shopping list – We tend to overspend every time we are off the shopping list. It’s okay to add an occasional friend or two whom you must have forgotten to include in the original list. But don’t get swept up in the Christmas spirit once you have set your budget. Otherwise, you will end up buying every Santa-themed item for every person whether or not required.
• Stop random gift exchanges – Gift exchanges at your book club or work will simply add to your junk count. Christmas is already expensive and you don’t need to participate in these redundant social obligations.
• Gift in a group – If you are on a budget this year, then simply go in with someone else. You can buy a big gift for your parents by asking your siblings to chip in. Similarly, ask your teammates to contribute so that you can get a wholesome gift for your coach. Sharing is caring and you can gift well without crossing over your budget by sharing the cost of a big present.
• Regift – Contrary to popular belief, it’s okay to regift. But it’s important to follow some ground rules so that you don’t end up circulating the same gift to its original giver. However, you can regift an induction cooker gifted by your in-laws to your newlywed friend. Re-gifting saves money and also prevents gifts from going unused.
• Go DIY – If you want to make it memorable for your loved ones, then make a gift rather than buying it. You can get countless ideas and instructions from Pinterest. If being all crafty isn’t your thing, then you can simply bake something or make a gift hamper by collecting the favorite items of your friend. Some more DIY gift ideas to try this Christmas are homemade candles, knitted scarves, bath bombs, fragrant soaps, handwritten coupon books, office or home decorations, homemade snack boxes, movie night gift baskets, etc.
• Don’t always go by tradition – If you’ve been sending Christmas cards to everyone just because your mom always did, then it’s time to stop. You can easily save money this Christmas by cutting extras that don’t mean much to you.
• Don’t shop at the mall – You can avoid every single pushy kiosk salesperson by avoiding the mall. At the same time, you also won’t have to worry about distractions like delicious-smelling pretzels and tempting retail window displays which might cause you to splurge.
• Be creative in gift wrapping – You don’t need to spend your Christmas funds on vibrant character-covered wrapping paper. Reusable bags picked up from the dollar store can come to your rescue, provided you do the wrapping aesthetically. You can also reuse bags from previous years or save money by decorating newspapers with bright markers. Some other excellent ideas for gift-wrapping substitutes are decorated scrap paper, construction paper, patterned scraps of fabric, paper bags, sheets or blankets, layered plastic tablecloths, etc.

Conclusion

Festivities will come and go but you need to understand that it’s okay to cut back on spending if your wallet doesn’t permit it. You can make a wonderful holiday by simply spending time with your loved ones. But the tips listed above can help you get through the season while adding to your savings. It’s obvious to want to buy big gifts for your family, but you should also make sure that your actions don’t make a dent in the joy that accompanies the Christmas season.