Christmas is SO CLOSE! Quite honestly we are not too far away….
Are you a BIG Christmas shopper? I will admit that I am NOT! I HATE shopping. That goes for ANY kind of shopping. Shoes, Clothes, Groceries, I despite. (Yes, I know that’s not all that normal!)
We don’t get too deep into gifts – we do coupon through the year to put together Beauty Baskets for the Men and Women in the family. But as for the kids, we prefer doing things with them instead of buying them things.
It works out rather well – because we’d rather spend the Christmas holiday doing all those fun things that makes the season so special – and in the process, they tend to associate Christmas with family and friends and not with material items. I think that is important for kids.. .. that’s how my parents were with us, and perhaps that’s why I prefer to do that with my own.
Christmas can sometimes break the bank for many people too – without advance planning, you truly can go overboard in your quest to buy gifts, make food, shop – and in the process, sabotage your finances. It’s SO easy to do…
It’s important to start planning early – get out your paper & pen, and start making lists now ~ write to companies, find 5 minutes to OPEN a Savings Account, and an additional 5 minutes to start a draft that’ll deposit regularly. Clean your pantry. Think about those you buy for.. who you may need to add your list this year.
There are so many things to do, that you CAN do, in advance. We rounded up TEN of our MUST-DO items to help you start THIS week so you can feel a little more liberated when December rolls on up.
Sign up for Shop your Way Rewards
It’s FREE – it’s not a credit card. It’s basically like a Kmart & Sears store loyalty card. The best reason to sign up is so you can earn FREE points.
They give out free points often – some people get FREE points every week ~ you can also play games that earn you free points. Save up those points and use them to buy cheap gift items.
Start Shopping for FREE or Cheap Health & Beauty
Making Gift Baskets is always a GREAT option for people in the family – MEN or WOMEN. We have done this for at least the last 5 years, and every year it gets more fun.
We coupon for the FREE & cheap items, come home, and then toss them in a bin in the closet. Around mid-december, we take an inventory of what we have by putting the kids to bed, then DUMPING that huge bin on the floor, and sorting out what will go to who. It’s fun to see what you bought – everything seems to have a memory attached to it too.
Join Uberzon
Are you signed up? If not, you are missing out! Uberzon is an Amazon product survey group – apply to join and they will email you to try NEW products from various companies that are looking for reviews on their new product on Amazon.
Supplies are limited – so when you get an email, click quickly to score the code that offers the item at a significant discount (usually $1 – $2), and shipping is FREE with Amazon Prime. Just make sure you remember to review the item & leave feedback on Amazon at a later time.
And please.. no sharing codes!
Scour Clearance
It’s NOT too early to start hunting those clearance racks! No matter what store, you MAY find something for everyone on your list.
That includes Target, and Walmart too – Target always has some pretty neat things on end caps marked down. Think about EVERYONE you buy for – including teachers.
Plan a Non Negotiable List
WRITE out the items you KNOW you are going to need – do it NOW! Then, you have 18 weeks (well, between NOW and then) to plan.
That means keeping your eyes open when you are out & about.. asking a friend or two to help, or even asking your favorite blog to keep her/his eyes open too. The more eyes the better.
Plan (Ahead) to Bake
Do you bake at the Holidays? I think we ALL do… so plan. Plan ahead.
That means stocking up on butter NOW – since you can freeze ahead, you’ll save a bunch. Write to all those companies you purchase from at the holidays for all those baking items – ie. Gold Medal, C&H Sugar, Nestle TollHouse (Chocolate Chips), Peanuts for Brittle, and more.
If it helps, ask your children (older ones) to help you make a list. Don’t be afraid to use their Contact Us form on their site – and be forthright: ASK for coupons. They love having loyal customers – so if they appreciate you they will send you savings by mail.
Find a Hiding Space
And NO, I don’t mean layaway. I’m not a fan of Layaway, I know many people use it but I have never believed IN layaway – instead, plan to put money in an account each week to set aside.
AND make space for your gifts. That means cleaning out a few closets, using the attic, asking a friend if she/he has space. Or, even hiding at Grandma or Grandpa’s house. We use the TOP shelf in the closets … we use the cabinets above the fridge, and all those inconspicuous places they would never think to look.
It works.
Save through Apps
We ALL know that you save through apps – but we want to see you save WITH your apps – that means cashing them out to your savings account – give yourself a NEW reason to use those apps every day.
Every time you redeem your deals through your apps, and cash out, put the money into your savings – it’s an EASY way to encourage yourself to actively pursue those GREAT deals that are close to free, yet save at the same time. Apps like Ibotta, MobiSave, Checkout51 & more are a great way to start – see our last post for our favorite money-saving apps for shopping.
Take Advantage of 4X Fuel Points
Between now and end November, take advantage of those 4X Fuel Points promotions at Fry’s to score gift cards for LESS – not only to do your shopping but also to GIFT too.
The same goes for those Fuel Points offers at Safeway – we always have coupons on our Just 4 U to earn discounts on Gift Cards. Start early and you won’t feel the pinch later on – if you can get it done early enough you can sit back the entire month of December and pat yourself on the back.
Save, Save, Save
It’s the first week of October – and it’s NOT TOO LATE to start putting away! …. Take advantage of the weeks you DO have left leading up to Christmas to put AWAY for Christmas.
Ditch the credit cards, and be intentional with your cash this year. Gifting between family and friends is normal ~ gifting to the point that you must pull out plastic for what you can’t pay at the present is scary!
Although some of you MAY pay them off at month end, all it takes is for ONE person to lose their job, one skipped payment, to make that purchase one that you may regret later.
Start putting away a minimum of $30 each week between NOW and then – that’s $120 per month – and although many of you have kids that love BIG things, have a new focus this year – more is less… If you can afford to put away more each week, DO IT.
That $35 is EASY – skip your Lattes at Starbucks, and skip eating out at work for lunch or for dinner. Don’t go to the grocery store, and make your meals from the pantry — that right there will HELP.
The money that you would have paid down on layaway you can turn and put into a savings – be intentional with your gifts. With cash in hand you will SPEND LESS because you have emotion tied to the dollar. Start with $25 THIS week and you’ll have $360 by Mid-December.
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