10 Ways to Save Money on Christmas

Well, here we are again, it’s almost Christmas. Every year keeps flying by faster and faster. If you’re like me, you may already be thinking about ways to save money on Christmas.

I’m always thinking ahead. It makes life so much easier for me. Before I know it holidays sneak up and I start to panic. Especially Christmas because it is more expensive than most holidays.

Finding different ways to save money on Christmas is really important to me. Once you start saving money, it’s hard to go back to paying full price.

It’s so easy to overspend during Christmas because it gets so busy. Last-minute shopping can be really stressful because there are so many people out shopping. You may think I’m crazy but it’s September and I’m already getting ready to do my Christmas shopping.

My husband and I discuss what budget we want to set for Christmas. We always try to include Elf on the Shelf in our Christmas budget too. Don’t miss these funny Elf on the Shelf ideas.

The next thing I do is ask my kids for a Christmas list. After that, I’m on the hunt looking for different ways to save money on Christmas gifts.

Finding ways to save money on Christmas is not difficult. I’ve learned many tricks over the past several years and I’m excited to share them with you.

Ways to Save Money on Christmas

1. Create a Budget and Shopping List

One of the most important things to do before your Christmas shopping is creating a budget. My husband and I set a budget for the kids, family gifts, and gifts for my husband’s co-workers. We don’t usually get gifts for each other because we buy things throughout the year.

Once your budget is set, you need to get a shopping list together. I keep track of my shopping lists on my cell phone. It’s the easiest method for me. I have it with me all the time and I don’t have to worry about losing a piece of paper that has everything on it.

2. Get an Amazon Prime Membership

I love shopping online! Have you noticed that stores don’t carry as much inventory when you shop in person? I have twin girls that are the same size and it’s hard to find two of the exact same things in the same size.

After so many frustrating shopping trips, I decided to shop online. I do around 80% of my shopping online. That’s where Amazon comes in. My Amazon Prime membership pays for itself every year.

Most of the time, Amazon has the best prices. There are times when I will find a better deal at Walmart but other than that, Amazon is my “go-to”. I love that I can order something as inexpensive as $1 and it ships free with my Prime Membership.

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3. Get Cash Back Shopping Online

If you’re an online shopper like me, you should be getting cash back for shopping online. I’ve earned over $700 since I’ve been a member of Ratuken.

Every little bit helps. Ratuken offers cashback on your online purchase. The cashback percentage is different for each store.

If you aren’t a member of Ratuken, you should be. They are offering a $10 sign-up bonus to new members. It’s completely free to join.

Click this Ratuken link to get started and get your $10 sign-up bonus. You’ll also want to check out my post with step-by-step instructions on how to Get Paid to Shop Online.

4. Don’t Wait for Black Friday

Black Friday is basically the official kick-off for Christmas shopping. They put all types of deals out to make it feel like you will save money on Christmas gifts. Hopefully, you already know this but the deals aren’t any better during Black Friday.

Most of the best shopping deals are available before Thanksgiving. Another great time to shop for deals is during Cyber Monday which is the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

5. Research Prices

This is huge! I’ve been deal shopping for a long time but I still price-check some of the deals. Retailers are really good at making you think you are getting a good deal. They really can’t be trusted in this area.

This is one of the advantages of shopping early. You can take your time and get the best prices. Many websites will help you price compare or you can do your search. Here’s how I do it:

1. Find the item you want to purchase.
2. Copy the name of the item and paste it into Google Search.
3. Click on the shopping tab in Google search.
4. Scroll through the results.

6. Shop Daily Deal Sites

I love daily deal sites. The best way to make it work for you is to know what you want. You can’t just assume that everything on a daily deal site is a good deal. For example, every year I buy our family matching pajamas.

The kids really love it but it can get super expensive. I’ve been purchasing LazyOne brand pajamas for the past few years because they have cute pajamas that match and they are available in all of our sizes.

Every year Zulily (one of my favorite daily deal sites) has LazyOne brand pajamas at discounted prices. They usually have the deal around October so I always make sure I’m prepared to purchase as soon as I see it. I save myself at least 40% when I use Zulily to purchase LazyOne pajamas.

If you aren’t a member of Zulily, you should really check it out. It’s completely free to join. My favorite part is that you can mark your favorite brands and they will email you when deals are available with that brand.

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7. Make Your Own Gifts

This is a fun one. Most people would rather receive a meaningful gift. This makes it easy because making your gifts shows that you took the time to really think about that person. Last year, my niece made us all homemade gifts for Christmas.

She made me and my husband a candle, my son a homemade piggy bank, and my daughter’s body scrub and DIY cuticle oil. You’d be surprised at the items you can repurpose to make gifts.

Last Christmas we made super cute Redbox Popcorn gifts for my husband’s co-workers. I needed something cost-effective because we needed gifts for 20 different people.

The gifts ended up costing me around $2 per person. They didn’t take much time to put together and everyone loved them. There are some really cost-effective money gift ideas on the web. I’m currently on the hunt for more ideas for this Christmas.

8.  Donate in Honor of Someone

Many of us are so blessed and know that there are less fortunate people who could benefit from our donations. You can find an organization that you want to donate to and give a donation in honor of someone.

One year my aunt sent us a Christmas card with a little note that said she donated a milk cow to a family in Asia in honor of us.

It was one of the best gifts we ever received. We knew that the family needed something more than we did. It was a blessing all the way around. You don’t even need to disclose the dollar amount. It wouldn’t have mattered to me what it cost, it was the idea that blessed us.

9.  Shop Clearance Deals

We love shopping clearance! Especially when it comes to Christmas. You can find some of the best toys and other gifts in the clearance department. Clearance deals can also be found online.

Many stores offer an additional percent off clearance items around fall time. They are always getting new items in stock so they are trying to get rid of the old items.

We’ve experienced great success with shopping clearance items. In fact, when we do shop in the store, it’s the first place we look because the deals can be so good.

10. Shop at Thrift Stores

Did you know that some of the stuff in thrift stores is brand new? Many people buy things that they never end up using and then they end up in a thrift store.

I’ve seen multiple items with tags on them at the thrift store. One of our favorite online thrift stores is Thredup. They have great deals and lots of items that are brand new with tags on them.

We order from Thredup often. Right now, they are offering a $10 sign-up bonus when you use this Thredup link. We wrote a review of our experience with Thredup. Check out my post: Shop for Used Clothing Online.

How do you Save Money on Christmas?

Those are all my favorite ways to save money on Christmas. It’s really important to remember the true reason for the season. Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. We often allow ourselves to get so busy that we miss the time we should be spending with family and friends.

We can still save money on Christmas and have plenty of time to spend quality time with friends and family. We need to be intentional, especially during Christmas because it can get so busy.

If you’re looking for ways to make money for Christmas, be sure to check out 20+ ways to earn extra money. There are quick and legitimate ways to earn extra money.

How do you save money on Christmas?