With Christmas right around the corner, it's time for some Christmas shopping. I've put together a list of some great money saving tips to help you not break the bank this season. I'm all about decorating on a budget and affortable fashion, both for yourself and your home. So, when it comes to Christmas shopping I'm all about getting a great deal. Here are some of my favorite ways to save money around the holidays.
1. Shop Online
There are so many deals that different stores have around this time of year that are online only. Target and Old Navy are two stores that come to mind for these types of deals. Be sure to check stores' websites before you head out, there may be a great online only deal. Plus you get to shop in your PJ and avoid lines. WIN!
2. Target Cartwheel
If you're not using Target's Cartwheel App you need to be. I use this every time I go to Target, which is a lot. Our Target has groceries too so that's where I do a lot of my grocery shopping and the Cartwheel app has saved me a lot of money. All you do is scan the item in the app and it will tell you if there is a deal on it or not. You need this app. Trust me.
3. Target Gift Cards
Target often has sales where if you buy a certain number of something you get a $5 or $10 gift card. For example, there may be a deal where if you buy 3 Tide, Gain, Bounty or Charmin items as signed you will get a $5 gift card. You can then use that $5 gift card on a Christmas gift. If you do this throughout the year, you can have a stash of these gift cards saved up to do your Christmas shopping with.
4. Search Online for Discount Codes
Every time I shop online I search for discount codes from that store. For example, if I'm shopping at Ulta.com I will search online for Ulta coupon codes. A lot of times Retail Me Not will have some codes that work. I don't buy anything online without doing this.
5. Budget
This may sound obvious, but it's something that is so important to do. We make a budget all year round, not just for Christmas. But, if you don't do it for each month, at least try it for Christmas gifts. Set a spending limit for each person you're buying for, and stick to it! Writing it down or doing a spreadsheet on the computer will keep you accountable. Each time you buy a gift, record it in the budget. You can then see how much you have left to spend on each person. This is a great way to keep track of what you've spent so you don't go over budget.
All of these tips can be used all year round, but especially around Christmas time! I hope they help you save some extra money this year!
Thanks for reading!