Smart Ways to Save on Christmas

Can you believe that Christmas is just around the corner?  Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. I love spending time with my family and enjoying the holiday. Christmas can also be a stressful time of year if you don't plan for it. It is so easy to blow your budget if you aren't careful. Stay on track with these smart ways to save on Christmas.

Budget

Budgeting is one of the best ways to save on Christmas. Start by setting a realistic budget for everyone you need to buy for. Make sure you include everyone on the list. Then figure out how much you will spend on each person. Now you know how much you have to work with and can start planning gifts.

Plan Ahead

Don't wait until the last minute to do your shopping. I don't know about you, but if I need a gift I start panicking and am way more likely to go over my budget. By planning ahead I make sure that I find something that the person will enjoy and is within my budget.  I often start my shopping in September or October.

Coupons and Codes

Coupons and online codes are a great way to save extra money. I can often find free shipping codes or 20% off coupons for places. By making each gift more affordable I am able to buy more gifts. Retail me not is a favorite of mine to find coupon codes.

Make A Gift

There are so many cute gifts out that you can make yourself. Pinterest has hundreds of ideas on homemade Christmas gifts that don't look cheap. Check out my homemade gifts pinterest board for more ideas.

Daily Deals 

I love checking out the daily deals sites around Christmas. They often have some great deals. Two years ago we found a chair we wanted to buy our son. The price would have put us over budget, but then we found a groupon deal that was pay $20 get a $50 gift card to that store. We picked up a $55 dollar chair for only $25 dollars.

Use Freebies

Just because it didn't cost you anything doesn't mean you can't give it as a Christmas present. I love to get the free magazine deals that I see for my son. Right now he is really into photography, so when I saw a free 1 year subscription to a magazine I grabbed it. The first two that will come before Christmas will be wrapped up as the gift. The rest of them will come all year long so he can enjoy. It's a fun gift without spending anything.

I also collect the Bath & Body Works freebies and wrap them up to give as teachers gifts. You can make a nice gift for free.

Christmas doesn't have be expensive or above your budget. By planning ahead and spending your money wisely you can have a frugal, debt free Christmas. I would love to hear your tips and tricks for saving on Christmas.