Money Saving Holiday Tips

1. Clear out the house. Go through all toys/clothes/closets/kitchen appliances/garages/holiday bins,etc. Clear out everything you no longer use. Sell it, give it to a friend, family member, donate to those in need. I like to do this because usually after Christmas for us, it helps with finding places for new gifts coming in. It’s also a perfect time of year to donate toys/clothes. And if there are items you can sell, well you can use that money for new gifts.
2. Don’t overspend. Stick to a budget. Make a list and check it twice 😉. I’ll usually make a list of everyone I need to shop for and gift ideas next to their name, and how much I CAN spend. Big difference than what I would LIKE to spend. I love to shop, but I think this time of year gets a little out of hand and I like to keep things as simple as can be. Here’s a break down on how much we spend:
   • KIDS (the money suckers): Base your budget off of their age group. For our youngest(age two), we’ll prob spend between $75-100. She gets happy over anything and everything. No need to go crazy here. Our oldest is 11: The I want everything Supreme, Gucci, and $10,000 age. What he really needs is a reality check, but we’ll save that for another post. We set his budget to $200. It’s been around this since the age of 7 or 8; it just gets harder to stick to as they get older with all the tech products. Now some of you might think that’s a lot and others may look at it like, How? This is what works for us and I’m pretty good with sticking to it. The important thing is to make a realistic goal for yourself based on your income. What I go by for their list is this: SOMETHING THEY WANT, SOMETHING THEY NEED, and SOMETHING FROM THE HEART. One of each, and then I’ll get little things here and there if I can.
   • For Everyone Else: Add up how many people you would like to get gifts for and then divide by what you CAN spend. Don’t feel an obligation or need to purchase something either. A simple card, tasty treat, homemade gift, or just a “happy holidays” goes a long way. Personally to me the gift giving should be for the kids.
3. Where to shop: Anywhere. There’s deals everywhere this time of year. Just do research, compare, and stick to your list! Always check thrift shops, online yard sales (I like Facebook Marketplace or LetGo, but there are so many others too), or you could even ask friends/family if they have any toys that aren’t being used. Next stop, online shopping. I like to do most of my shopping online, because it helps keep to the budget. In stores, it’s harder to stay focused. They have too many pretty things. If you do go in store, make sure to plan ahead. We all get the ads, just go through them and again refer to your shopping budget list and stick to it. I’ll actually use Black Friday more for myself then for gifts. I have a list for things we need around the house and wait for good deals. This time of year is usually best for household deals.
4. Biggest Tip: Stick to your list and don’t get side tracked by all the unnecessary, sparkly, fun gadgets! There are apps you can use to keep track of your list too. This year I plan on trying this one: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/christmas-gift-list-tracker/id1444504033.

Let me know if you have any other tips! I’d love to hear them. Wishing you all an early Safe and Happy Holiday Season!