Smart Ways to Save on Holiday Spending

Whether you like it or not, the cold weather has made its mark, making it seem like there wasn’t even a fall, going from summer, straight to winter.  With the change in temperature comes another rude awakening; it’s time for Christmas shopping.  While there are the smart ones out there that put money aside all year, or start early and have all the shopping finished up on Black Friday, the remainder of us need to figure out a plan for the bump in spending coming up, with a few ways to save money holiday shopping.

Budget Should be in Full Force

If you haven’t started a budget yet, or are one of the many that give up after a while, now is the time to really watch every dollar that is going out and ensure you have money left over to buy gifts, or ease the burden when you start to see the credit card statement come in with all of the extra spending added to it.  By allocating money out to necessary utilities, food, and gas, you can limit unnecessary spending and stick to the goal on hand, which is giving to others.

Cut Other Expenses

Money can definitely be tight around the holidays so it’s a good idea to cut corners where you can, so giving up expenses you may not use is a great way to save extra money.  From cutting the cable cord and opting for a streaming service, to giving up the gym membership to take a brisk walk outside every day, to probably the biggest money saver, which is avoiding going out to eat and instead grocery shopping to prepare meals at home.  You’ll notice the money adding up (and quickly being spent elsewhere), not to mention maybe even shedding a few extra pounds with your newfound habits.

Shop Around

Impulse buys can be where plenty of money can go quickly, so with so many options out there such as online shopping with endless amounts of websites to choose from, in-person retail, plus combining with coupons, discounts, and promo codes.  Everywhere you look you can save money, it’s just you have to put in a little bit of effort to save, instead of the one-click buying on the first site you see.  Online shopping is so easy, without having to leave the house and fight crowds in the parking lot and in line, while being able to order from the comfort of your own home.

Earn Cashback

While it may not save you money at the checkout, but since you’re making all of these purchases anyways, why not earn a little money back by using cashback rewards credit card.  With each purchase you can earn points to redeem for gift cards, hotel nights, airline miles, or even a check back to you once a year with rewards cash.  Not only for Christmas shopping, but depending on how much you spend throughout the year, it could add up to hundreds of dollars coming back to you, that otherwise would have been left on the table by using a debit or credit card without rewards.

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