Wow, did December fly by so quickly! I almost forgot about my ways that I saved in December. It seemed like we put up the tree and then Christmas was here and gone. I always feel like December is one of the harder months to save. Not only are there all the Christmas gifts to buy, but there is always a party or place to be. It's so tempting just to throw in the towel and get carryout instead of cooking. I survived the holidays and managed to find some ways to save too. Check out the 5 ways I saved in December.
Avoided Carryout
I have a really bad habit of falling apart right before Christmas. I forget a couple of things, spend part of the evening in the stores, and then just end up caving and getting carryout. I did a great job of planning ahead and staying out of the stores. I did some grocery shopping at a small store right before Christmas to avoid the chaos. I resisted carryout leading up to Christmas and when we did eat out it was planned.
Stocked Up on Shrimp
We were almost completely out of shrimp when I saw a deal for $4.99 a pound. It's not the $2.99 I paid a few months ago, but it is a good deal. I picked up 8 pounds of the shrimp. My son loves shrimp so I try to make it about once a week. I make dishes like pasta and shrimp so we don't have to use a lot of it since it is kind of pricey. If I really stretch it, I can use about 1/4 pound a week, so this will last us for a while.
Bought Clearance Deals
I love shopping after Christmas. I am not an early riser, but I do hurry up and get ready early in the morning to do my day after Christmas shopping. Not only can you stock up on wrapping paper, bows, and cards but there are so many things you can buy for all year long. I stocked up on cologne and perfume for the whole year. I bought ziploc bags with snowflakes for packing lunches and a cooling rack and baking utensils that were on clearance.
Stayed Within Budget
My husband and I have a bank account for gifts, and we stayed within what we budgeted. It makes Christmas so much more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about how you are paying for the presents. We spent a couple of weeks planning and finding deals. We ending up spending almost exactly what we had saved.
Enjoyed the Weather
The weather was amazing leading up to Christmas. One day it was almost 70 degrees. Even after Christmas the weather was fairly warm. We did lots of hiking and walking. We went to a state park that had free admittance that day. We went to a couple of new parks that we hadn't been to before. It was so nice to be able to spend so much time outdoors this time of year. Staying outside and out of the stores made for some very frugal days.
Saving money doesn't always have to be just about the big things that you do. Even the small things you do every month can snowball into big savings. How was December for you? I would love to hear the ways you saved.
Savannah @ Budget Preps says
I love to see your successes, let's see if I can gather 5 things I did in December to save money...
1. We too enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather in Ohio! This led to a few other saving money activities, we grilled and ate dinner many nights on our patio (in a sweatshirt, but will awesome!)
2. We stayed within budget for our Christmas shopping. I've been grabbing great deals all year long for people.
3. We made money by de-cluttering our home before Christmas (to make room for the new toys we knew our parents would get the little one). Most of the toys were donated to a local church along with some baby clothes. But we were able to sell some old electronic and household items for some pocket cash!
4. We ate out far less than we normally do - it's been a conscious effort for us.
5. I also hit up the great deals the day after Christmas. I like to buy the big rolls of wrapping paper (180 sq ft) - I purchased 2 for $2.50 total and this will easily last me for the next few years!
Julie says
Yea! Great job saving this month.
Sarah@TheOrthodoxMama says
Nice job on finding a deal on shrimp! We use a fair amount as well, but I seldom see it on sale. Where do you shop?
Julie says
I normally buy them at Fresh Thyme. They run a sale every 2-3 months. If I run out before I see another sale I get them from Aldi. Even the everyday price at Aldi is about half what the other grocery stores sell them at. They can be so expensive.