Holidays are amazing, but they really wreak havoc on our wallets. But don’t worry, because we’ve lined up the best ways to save money during the holiday season:
Everybody did a huge amount of overspending during the holiday season. Either you have a large family and you want to buy a gift for everyone, or you love buying decorations, or you decided that New Year’s Eve must be spent in a foreign location. Unfortunately, nothing is free nowadays, so you must be ready to spend.
But what if we tell you there are some of the best ways to save money during the holiday season while still being happy and content with your family? Let’s discover together some of the most innovative methods for how you can have a sustainable holiday season and save money on how and what you get for presents and how to have fun without leaving you with an empty wallet:
1. Set a budget
If you want to save money during the holiday season, it’s best to set a budget. Start by making a list of everything you want to buy and assess whether it’s feasible. In this list, make sure you add everything, including the little things that are easy to forget (wine or beer for dinner, depending on what your guests prefer, fuel for a car if you must travel to another town, etc.).
It might be tempting to leave everything until the last minute because of the availability of online shopping, but if you want to save money during the holiday season, you will want to be more careful with the places you shop. Some of them are just scams, and the discounts are nearly nonexistent. Do a bit of research before you start adding things to the cart.
2. Shop less
When you have a bigger family, it’s easier said than done, but let us tell you a secret: you don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on gifts to make people smile. Instead of buying something that will end up in a forgotten corner of an attic, try a different approach instead of physical gifts.
Gift cards, memberships, auto repairs, or even a ticket to a concert they’ve been waiting for is a great way to make someone happy. Look for discounts because, around the holidays, every small or big business wants to attract their customers. However, if this isn’t exactly for you, let’s move on to the third hack of the article, which is by far the cutest!
3. Try Secret Santa
As we mentioned before, gifts are usually very expensive, and most of them end up being forgotten somewhere in the attic or a bag. One of the best ways to save money during the holiday season is to try out the Secret Santa thing. By merely purchasing one present, you can minimize your costs and establish a new family tradition. And trust us, everybody will love the idea!
Talk about a threshold that works for everyone, and don’t go beyond it. Everyone can give a wonderful gift within their budget!
4. Skip the shopping and go for DIY gifts
One thing we learned through the years is to never overlook the power of a DIY gift! And during these times of inflation, they are also a great way to save money during the holiday season. Besides that, you can also learn new skills and be creative!
You can try making picture frames, a cute video compilation with nice moments spent with your family, home decorations, or even some nice cookies. Be brave! Everybody has a tiny bit of creativity inside of them, you just need to let it roam free!
5. Use LED lighting
Americans have an awesome tradition, which is to decorate their house with a lot of lightning and cute figures for the winter holidays. Whoever’s house is the most welcoming will win. And while that is nice and all, it might drive you crazy when the power bill comes in January. To avoid this headache and save money during the holiday season while also enjoying the tradition, use LED lights.
If you’re looking for affordable LED Christmas lights to stock up on, look no further. These multicolor Christmas tree lights with a remote control can be used for both indoor and outdoor decoration. They cost only $29.99 on Amazon and come in a pack of 200 LEDs.
6. Cut back on extra expenses at least one month before the holidays
If you want to save money for when the holiday season comes, you must cut back on extra expenses. For example, if you are used to drinking your coffee on the go and you pay, let’s say, around $5 for it every morning, do the math and see how much you spend on it in a month. You will be surprised at how much money you will end up saving in just a couple of months!
7. Discount stores must be your friends
Discount stores like Dollar Stores are always great shopping spots from which you can buy a lot of stuff for family gatherings, parties, and holidays. Whenever you need wrapping supplies, greeting cards, decorations, or little toys, Dollar Tree stores are always there for you.
Check out their offer online, as they change it periodically!
8. Decorate with frugal flair
If you want to be even more frugal and save money during the holiday season, look around your yard. Tree branches, acorns, leaves, holly, and a ton of other items are available for you to utilize as decorations.
Another idea for frugal flair is to put a bag of cranberries in a glass vase and secure it with a ribbon. Let’s not forget about the popcorn and cranberry garland as well! These things were so fun to make while we were kids, so why not remind yourself of your childhood by re-doing them? These creatively designed homemade decorations are always enjoyable to make, simple to do, and most importantly reasonably priced.
9. Opt for a potluck
Holiday dinners are always quite expensive, especially if you expect a lot of guests, but this year you may want to try something different. A tremendous way to save money during the holiday season is to ask every guest to come with a little dish and put them all together.
Let everyone bring sides and dessert while you provide the barbecue or other main course. By allowing everyone to join in, you’ll save time and money and have more time to spend with each other! Awesome, right?
10. Use coupons and always pay with cash
One of the best ways to save money during the holidays is to spend wisely and benefit from every little thing that comes up. Besides everything we’ve mentioned above, use coupons to get more discounts on what you need to buy. You can find them online or in newspapers.
Furthermore, don’t forget to use cash to pay for your groceries! Use cash to make purchases after setting aside a certain amount. If you don’t have the money to spend, you will never be tempted to overspend. Think about it like this: Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever!
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