How to Save Time & Money During the Holidays
The holidays are quickly approaching! Everyone we know is trying to figure out how to avoid the stress of spending too much time and money this time of year. Follow these 10 tips to help you make the most of your time and money this holiday season!
Decide how much you can spend.
First things first! Set a budget before you head to the mall. Don’t overlook the little extras when you draft your budget. Include everything from postage for Christmas cards to food for that big holiday dinner.
Make a list and check it twice
Now that you have your budget set, make a list of the people you want to buy for. Now go over that list and figure out how much you can spend on each person. If you don’t have enough money to cover all of those on your list now is the time to cut some names. Focus on the amount that you will spend rather than what you will buy.
Pay in Cash & use coupons
Try taking out the amount you budgeted for gifts and shop with that cash. once you’re out of money then that’s it! Also search for coupons and print them! You can also download phone apps like RetailMeNot that offer coupons for just about any store.
Shop earlier in the year
When buying last minute, you usually end up spending more for a gift. Try looking for sales throughout the year and buy then.
Order online
Save yourself time and money by ordering gifts online. Many websites offer additional discounts that you may not get in-store. Find websites that also offer FREE shipping!
Internet Savings with Honey
Honey is a free browser app that automatically scans the Internet for every working coupon code while you’re shopping online. Then at checkout, it magically applies the best deal to your cart! On Amazon discover the best time to buy with price history charts and alerts when your favorite products are on sale. This makes coupon code hunting so much easier!!
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/honey/bmnlcjabgnpnenekpadlanbbkooimhnj?hl=en-US
Gift that doesn’t cost anything
If you want to give someone a gift but don’t want to spend money you can give them something homemade! How about baked goods, jellies, mason jar treats, DIY gift, or even offer to baby-sit.
Potluck Parties
If you are hosting a holiday party, think abut having it be a potluck event.
Find free holiday activities in your area
Visit your neighborhood website to see your upcoming events and spend time with your family at some of them.
http://www.woodlandsonline.com/evps/
http://www.springtoday.com/evps/
Remember the reason for the season!
Rather than spending every weekend of December in the mall, it would be so much better to spend time at home with your family next to the fireplace making memories.
