Simple Ways to Save Money During the Holidays

I will be the very first to admit that overspending and buying during the holidays is WAY too easy to do! I swear between the constant sales this time of year and the Christmas music stores play, they do whatever they can to reel you in and it works! ;) That being said, the holidays don't have to cost you a fortune - here's some seriously simple ways to save this season:

ON GIFTS:

Gift giving can be so expensive, but it really doesn't have to be! I know we all get very caught up in wanting to give our family and friends the very best, and not to sound totally cliche but this season doesn't (and shouldn't) have to be all about materialistic items. Giving gifts is always a good feeling, but it shouldn't make you feel like you're going crazy! That being said, there are tons of ways all season long to get great deals.

Do your research before buying. See which store(s) are having deals, which has free shipping, the most cash-back available on Ebates, etc. Chances are at least one retailer will have the items you're looking to purchase for less - even if it's a little bit. Every penny counts when it comes to saving, it adds up!

Set a budget and stick to it. It is NOT easy to stick to budgets but when you do and realize how much you've saved and how your saved money can be divided into so many other places, it's such a great feeling! Make your shopping list for each person you'll be buying for, figure out how much you'll spend on each person and spend exactly that. Even aim to spend less, then you're saving even more than you planned to! It's really fairly easy to do with all of the sales that go on every single day during this time of year.

ON TRAVEL:

Whether you're planning on taking a trip this season or just booking now, you can save. Trust!

Research and know WHEN to book. there are SO many places to book for much less than you'd even expect! There's the theory that Tuesday/Friday are the best days to book flights but beyond betting on which day you'll get the cheapest deal, track a flight based on your destination using tracking sites like Hopper, KAYAK and Skyscanner; you'll get email alerts when a flights price goes down and it's a huge help in saving the most money..

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Book through Groupon. Guys, the deals that Groupon has are usually insanely good! They have a variety of locations and a ton of great resorts and hotels. Be careful when you book to read the exclusions/restrictions and fine print - there are lots of specifics you want to make sure you know before booking! I haven't booked through them before yet, but a few of my close friends have and they said they had zero problems and did end up saving quite a bit of money. Some of the trip bundles even include the cost of the flight (again, look closely!) and can save you hundreds.

Avoid super busy days. Weekends, for example, are going to be MUCH more hectic and crowded and expensive - this goes for travel, but also if you're going to any sort of special event. For example during this time of year in New York, I just would not go into the city on a Sunday - not only would it be packed, but ticket prices, specific stores and restaurants and more are all able to bump prices up because the demand is so high. Anyway, the point is (before I REALLY go off on a tangent... LOL this drives me crazy!) aim to travel and attend events on days that aren't going to get you stuck on lines and in crowds AND that'll cost you more.

ON DECOR:

It is sooo easy to end up spending a fortune on holiday themed decor. Too easy if you ask me! Here's how you can avoid that:

Buy AFTER the holiday. While this won't really benefit you this year, come next year you'll have decor and will have saved tons. After the holidays, you can find decorations usually for up to 75% off in some places; some things won't be "on trend" year after year, but there's a lot of things that are timeless and that you can easily re-purpose.

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DIY your decorations. Not only will making some decor yourself save you money, it'll be fun too! There's no better way to have your decor stand out than by making it yourself, and instead of dishing it out, get on Pinterest and see if you can make it. A lot of times, the supplies you'd need will cost more than it would to just buy - but that's where doing your research will tell you what to buy and what to DIY.

ON HOLIDAY OUTFITS:

Between all of the parties, events and holidays this season, it gets expensive dressing for every occasion. Dress smart (and cute) without paying a small fortune, here's how:

Buy pieces you can re-wear. Make sure anything you buy can be re-worn and added into different looks. When you buy shoes, get a classic color that'll match your outfits, for example. Or a simple dress that you can dress-up in different ways. Then you can switch up outfits and mix and match pieces together for each event! No matter what, make sure the things you buy are things you'll wear again and even throughout the winter - you don't want to buy something (especially if it's more of an investment piece) that you'll only wear during the holidays.

Shop stores when they have sales. This seems to be a re-occurring point I'm making, but there is almost ALWAYS a great sale going on from October-January. Wait until there's a coupon code for what you're looking to buy - if you're anything like me, your luck will have it that you'll buy and a day later the item will go on sale!

Save or splurge: there are lots of high-end, trendy buys but these days, you can always find a good "save" for every "splurge". It's fun to see what you can find, and if it's a more trendy buy that you don't know will always be in style, it's better to save on it.


How do you save during the holidays? XOXO -A