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7 Tips to Save Money Now for Christmas

October 12, 2018 by Lisa Park + 2 Comments

7 Tips to Save Money Now for Christmas

The holidays are coming up quickly, and I want to share with you tips to save money for Christmas because the last thing we want is to have credit card bills that need paid off in January because that is a financial stress.

It’s unfortunate that a lot of people have credit card bills from shopping during the holidays, so watch the video below to get 7 tips to save money for Christmas that have helped our family so we aren’t paying off Christmas items after the holidays. If you start now, you can save money to help pay for Christmas.

If you can’t see the YouTube video, head over to my channel here, and be sure to subscribe. And for those of you who like to read the post instead of watch the video, here are the 7 tips to save money now for Christmas.

1. Set a budget

First, determine how much money you are going to spend on Christmas, and set a budget.

To figure out how much you’ll spend, look back and calculate how much you spent last Christmas. That should give you an idea of what you think you’ll spend this year. It might also help you realize that you spent more than you planned and that you need to cut back on some Christmas items or presents this year.

But when setting a budget, be sure not to set it too tight because it’s nice to have a little wiggle room for last minute purchases. And don’t forget to include in your budget the extras such stocking stuffers, Christmas cards, and holiday home decorations.

2. Begin Saving Now

After you’ve determined how much you think you’ll need, then break it down into how much you need to set aside each month to reach that goal.

If it seems like there is no way you can set aside that much money each month, especially since the holidays are in a few months, then at least set aside something. You’ll have some money saved that will help out toward some of the holiday purchases for this year.

You may also want to re-evaluate the amount and price of gifts you are purchasing for others. And look to see if there are areas in your holiday shopping that you could cut back on so you have enough money for the most important purchases.

Last year, I made it a point to set aside $50 every month for the entire year and place it into a “Christmas” envelope. There were some months that were tight and we had extra bills to pay, so I wasn’t able to put aside money each month, but by the end of the year, we were able to save $500 for our Christmas fund. It was nice to be able to pay for our Christmas items as we purchased them.

I realize this year you might not be able to save as much as you want, but save what you can now, then starting January try out the Christmas envelope budgeting technique so you can get a head start on next year’s Christmas.

3. Create a Christmas List

Write down who you are giving gifts to this year. Then decide how much you’re willing to spend on each person depending on how much you’ve budgeted and were able to save. If you don’t have enough money to cover all the people on your holiday list, then go through the list again and cut names or the amount you’ll spend on them.

Be sure to group people together on your list for whom you may purchase the same gift. You might be able to get a volume discount on the gifts or you might be able to save on gas and your time by shopping at one store for multiple gifts.

On my side of the family, I have five siblings. I can’t image the amount of money I would spend each Christmas if I were to purchase gifts for all of my siblings and their children. Instead, what we do each year is rotate names so each of us is just buying for one sibling and their family. I love all of my siblings and their families, but it’s nice to keep Christmas more simple and less stressful by doing it this way, and then my Christmas list isn’t out of control.

4. Shop for Sales Now

You don’t have to wait until the holidays to start purchasing items and checking off your list. Once you’ve compiled your list, then you can begin to shop for the items right now as they go on sale or as you see a really good deal.

Be sure to always comparison shop before you purchase an item on sale, and be sure to not buy anything without checking for discounts first. If there is an item that’s on sale but it’s not on your list, even though we all love sales, be sure the money you are spending to purchase the item is in your budget.

Additionally, shopping right now will help you to avoid impulse last-minute buys, frenzied shoppers, and not finding what you need because its out-of-stock.

5. Cut Back on Extras

Sometimes I find myself spending more than I should on items because it’s the holiday season. However, constant spending on “extras” such as that photo with Santa or a new outfit for that holiday party can really eat away your budget. Before you splurge, make sure that it’s really worth the price.

6. Know When to Stop

When you’ve purchased all of the items on your list, then stop shopping! And once you are done, avoid heading out to the stores just to see what they have and what’s on sale. This can lead to poorly planned purchases and overspending your budget.

7. Remember the Reason for the Season

Keep a Christ-centered Christmas by keeping the spiritual message front and center. This will help during the holiday season so you don’t feel you have to buy items to give out to friends and family.

Remember that you don’t have to spend money to give a gift. Some of the best gifts are intangible such as offering to watch a friend’s children or baking cookies as a gift for a neighbor. It doesn’t cost much, but the gift is priceless. And one of the best gifts you can give your family during the holidays is to spend time with them rather than running around purchasing gifts and holiday items.

It’s easy to get caught up in the spending cycle during the holidays, but if you have a plan and set a budget, then you don’t need to worry about overspending and racking up a credit card bill that won’t be fun to pay off in January.

For our family, it’s made Christmas a lot less stressful when we save for Christmas starting in January. I know it’s sometimes difficult to come up with extra money each month because there is always something that you want or need to buy, but it will be worth it to prioritize and start saving money now for Christmas.

What are tips or ways you save money for Christmas?

And here are more articles you may be interested in reading:

6 Tips How to Give Holiday Gifts Without Spending Too Much6 Tips How to Give Holiday Gifts Without Spending Too Much

8 Ways to Save Money Shopping Online8 Ways to Save Money Shopping Online

11 Tips to Save Money on Amazon11 Tips to Save Money on Amazon

Filed Under: Budgeting, Finances, Saving Money

Comments

  1. pocket knives good quality says

    October 18, 2018 at 10:59 am

    Good blog post. I ԁefinitely love this website. Stick with it!

    Reply
    • Lisa Park says

      October 24, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply

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Hello, I'm Lisa

I enjoy teaching people how to live frugally so they can live within their means while still enjoying and doing the things in life that matter most to them. I'm here sharing tips about budgeting, saving money, meal planning, simple recipes, and more.

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For those of you in Northern Utah, if any of you want to try the Staples boxes, use the code savingcent10 to get $10 off.

Also this month, the Food and Meat Co-op is featuring convenience foods and easy meal options such as chicken nuggets, corn dogs (regular and gluten free), restaurant-quality sweet and sour pork meal kits, and orange meal kits. It’s nice to have quick and easy meals on busy days!

The pickup day for orders is between March 23-25 depending on where you live in Northern Utah.

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Are you wanting to get out of debt or save up a do Are you wanting to get out of debt or save up a down payment for a home? Do you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck or save for a big family vacation? Determine what is motivating you to set some financial goals.

Once you determine your goal, determine how much money to save each month, then break it down to how much to save per week. You may not be able to save $500 a month, but maybe you can save $200 a month. That means you would set aside $50 a week.

Some things you could do to save this money is don’t eat out, cut your grocery bill down, don’t go to the convenience store to grab a drink, or cut out subscription services.

It’s the small changes that make a difference over time.

For more tips, visit my website.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2021/01/05/how-to-create-a-budget-free-budget-worksheet/

#budget #budgeting #financialgoal #finances
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To make this meal even faster, prepare the ground beef in advance by cooking it earlier in the week. You can then put the cooked meat in the fridge or freezer and pull it out when you are ready to use it.

Click the link below for the recipe, or message me, and I'll send you the recipe.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2013/10/18/oven-baked-tacos/

#tacos #bakedtacos #ovenbakedtacos #easydinneridea #easymealideas #easymealidea #easydinners #easymeals
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Use the link below or message me for the link to the Disneyland post.

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I've tried a bunch of French dip Sandwiches, and this recipe is by far my favorite. My family also loves this meal.

The link to the recipe is below or message me and I'll send you the recipe.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2015/05/29/best-slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches/

#frenchdip #frenchdipsandwich #easydinnerideas #easymeal #easydinners #easymeals
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Message me for the recipe or use the link below.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2018/03/09/st-patricks-day-cookies/

#stpatricksdaycookies #stpatricksday #greencookies #greentreats #stpatricks #stpatrickscookies
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For those of you in Northern Utah, if any of you want to try the Staples boxes, use the code savingcent10 to get $10 off.

Also this month, the Food and Meat Co-op is featuring convenience foods and easy meal options such as chicken nuggets, corn dogs (regular and gluten free), restaurant-quality sweet and sour pork meal kits, and orange meal kits. It’s nice to have quick and easy meals on busy days!

The pickup day for orders is between March 23-25 depending on where you live in Northern Utah.

https://foodandmeatcoop.com/tooele
Are you wanting to get out of debt or save up a do Are you wanting to get out of debt or save up a down payment for a home? Do you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck or save for a big family vacation? Determine what is motivating you to set some financial goals.

Once you determine your goal, determine how much money to save each month, then break it down to how much to save per week. You may not be able to save $500 a month, but maybe you can save $200 a month. That means you would set aside $50 a week.

Some things you could do to save this money is don’t eat out, cut your grocery bill down, don’t go to the convenience store to grab a drink, or cut out subscription services.

It’s the small changes that make a difference over time.

For more tips, visit my website.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2021/01/05/how-to-create-a-budget-free-budget-worksheet/

#budget #budgeting #financialgoal #finances
We are having these Oven Baked Tacos this week for We are having these Oven Baked Tacos this week for dinner. It's an easy meal to make!

To make this meal even faster, prepare the ground beef in advance by cooking it earlier in the week. You can then put the cooked meat in the fridge or freezer and pull it out when you are ready to use it.

Click the link below for the recipe, or message me, and I'll send you the recipe.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2013/10/18/oven-baked-tacos/

#tacos #bakedtacos #ovenbakedtacos #easydinneridea #easymealideas #easymealidea #easydinners #easymeals
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I share tips of where to purchase tickets, how to use Genie+, where to find hotels in Anaheim, how to save money on food, and more. Plus, I’m sharing tips how to plan out your days, and I share Disneyland and California Adventure itinerary ideas.

Use the link below or message me for the link to the Disneyland post.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2023/02/12/how-to-go-to-disneyland-on-a-budget/

#disneyland #disneylandtips #disneylandtipsandtricks #californiaadventure #californiaadventuretips #disneylandbudget #budgetdisneyland #savemoneyondisneyland
These slow cooker French Dip Sandwiches are on my These slow cooker French Dip Sandwiches are on my meal plan for this week. And it's so easy to make! You just need 10 minutes to put it together in the morning. Then let it cook all day.

I've tried a bunch of French dip Sandwiches, and this recipe is by far my favorite. My family also loves this meal.

The link to the recipe is below or message me and I'll send you the recipe.

https://savingcentbycent.com/2015/05/29/best-slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches/

#frenchdip #frenchdipsandwich #easydinnerideas #easymeal #easydinners #easymeals

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