The holidays are some of the merriest times of the year. We get to spend time with family that we may not see very often, eat abnormally large amounts of food, and give more than we might usually. With all the joy that comes with the holidays, there might also be some dread. We love to give generously, but our bank accounts may not feel the same way. My hope is that you find at least one habit to implement to help you save money this holiday season.
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Save On Things You Already Spend Money On
Ibotta
One of my favorite ways to save money is to do it on things I’m already spending on! Did you know that you might be wasting money that you could be getting back? Ibotta is the first way I get some of the money I spend back. I talked about Ibotta and how it works in my post about grocery shopping on a budget. Ibotta is great mostly to get money back on groceries and household items like cleaning supplies and toiletries.
You can use my Ibotta referral for a $10 welcome bonus.
Ebates
Ebates is another way I get money back on everyday purchases. Ebates partners with many companies that offer exclusive coupons and rebates. After creating an account, you can install a browser extension. When you shop online at any of these websites, the deals will appear in the top right corner for you to activate. After you activate the deal (for example 3% rebate on entire purchase), you can shop like normal and check out. The extension will have an exclamation point if there are additional deals available such as free shipping. The rebate will not appear during checkout, but it will be applied to your Ebates account.
This is a great way to save on things you are already spending money on, but also to save money on any gifts you might be buying for the holidays! You can use my referral code to get $10 when you sign up. Ebates is an online program, however on a few select stores, you can link your credit or debit card and make in-store purchases.
Start A Holiday Savings Account
A great way to spend less money in the holiday months is to have a savings account year round. My favorite way of doing this is through the Qapital app. This app allows you to connect your bank account and create different goals that act as different savings accounts. The app has goals that are already created for you or you can create your own. For example, you can create a goal called “Christmas Savings” like I did below.
After you name your goal, you can set an amount as your savings goal. You can even add a picture as a cover. Then you can add rules. The rules include things like paying yourself for reaching your daily steps, rounding up to the nearest dollar (or two), automatic payment, and more! My favorite is the round up rule because the small amounts start to add up. You can add as many or as few rules as you want and watch your savings grow!
You can use my referral code to get $5 when you sign up and make your first deposit!
Save Money This Holiday Season By Setting A Budget
One of the most important ways to spend less money during the holidays is to set a budget. To create your budget, make a list of everyone you want to shop for. Don’t feel like you need to buy gifts for everyone. If you are on a tight budget, you can give cards or a DIY gift.
I recommend deciding the total amount you are able to spend, then dividing that amount up between the people you want to buy gifts for. If you want your budget to include more than just gifts, you should allocate the funds you need for that as well. Once you decide on the budget, stick to it!
Shop Sales During The Holiday
Sales are my favorite time to shop! Black Friday and Cyber Monday have some amazing deals! If you plan ahead of time, you will be able to shop these sales and end up saving yourself a lot of money! The only thing better than getting the perfect gift for everyone on your list, is doing it at a discounted price! You can use Ebates or Ibotta on top of any of the sales and save even more!
Another “sale” option is Groupon. If you would rather gift an experience, Groupon is a great option to buy gifts for much cheaper than they would be otherwise. Groupon also has a discount for first time customers!
Use Credit Cards During The Holidays
This is one to be careful with. I only recommend that you use credit cards if you have the means to pay them off immediately. The reason I even consider this a way to save money is because most credit card companies offer a sign up bonus if you spend a certain amount of money in the first month or two. You can also get cash back bonuses for spending on the credit card. It is important to note that you should only use this option if you have the means to pay it off right away. Don’t spend money that you don’t have!
I hope that this post is has helped you get some ideas on how to save for the holidays! Do you have any other ways you save money? Let me know in the comments below!
