41 Ways To Save Money On Holiday Shopping

You may get overwhelmed by the bombardment of various holiday shopping sales. So before you go impulsive, read on the following guide to save money during holidays and celebrate as much as you want.

Category: Shopping     Written By: Muhammad Umair Malik

41 Ways To Save Money On Holiday Shopping

October is here, and the holiday season in Q4 of the year has officially started. People are splurging for holiday shopping, and retailers are high on profits. But it is also a known reality that people's bank accounts and credit cards have all the potential to get a hard hit during the holiday season. And they are looking for the ways to save money during holidays.

Now, if we look at the situation, you may have wasted your money on various holiday shopping deals you don't need. You could shop for necessities and save money, and there are many ways for it. Whether you are shopping for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, you can do it, and it's possible to celebrate without breaking your bank.

So in this article, you will read the 41 ways you can save money on holiday shopping. These holiday shopping money-saving tips will allow you to score a great deal.

1. Plan your budget properly

budget planning

First among holiday shopping tips is to determine how much money and amount you have and how much you can afford to spend on your holiday shopping. The budget will clear you thoughts about the spending and how much you want to save money during holidays. Also know various smart ways to save money and apply them in your budget.

2. Create a list of items

Holiday shopping can be tricky when it comes to your budget. A lot of items that you actually don't need are available on deals or sales. It may lure you into spending extra. So, to avoid the situation, create a list of items you want to buy and stick with it. No matter how cheap a deal is, please don't fall for it. You can buy some other time when you will have a sufficient budget.

3. Choose holiday gifts wisely

choose holiday gifts wisely

Gifts are necessary on holidays and express love and affection for people you are close to. But it doesn't really mean that you should spend as much as you want. Decide the gift recipients and determine the maximum amount you can spend on their gifts. Remember that your goal should be to save money during holidays. Gifts for children or younger ones usually cost less. So you can buy meaningful and some pricey gifts for adults and can save money on children's gifts.

4. Take advantage of the retailer's mega sales and holiday shopping saving deals.

major retailers mega sales event

This year, many retailers have announced mega sales events in October (the start of the holiday season). These sales are expected to last for three months, followed by different sales events.

For instance, Amazon announced its Amazon Prime Day 2020 to occur on 13th and 14th October. The even has been postponed since July and hence finally happening in this holiday season.

Similarly, Target also announced its Target Deal Days 2020 on the same dates in order to compete.

Why will Walmart lack behind? This giant retailer also announces the 'Walmart Big Save' online event that will run from October 11 to October 15.

So if you intend to shop for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas, take advantage of these mega sales events and save money during holidays.

You can shop for hundreds or thousands of items from fall or winter clothing to smart home devices and save big on your shopping.

5. Do consider shopping online

try to shop online

To discourage rush in stores due to the ongoing pandemic, retailers are encouraging online shopping as much as possible. And for that, they offer a lot of holiday shopping on budget deals and sales on different items to lure customers. Take benefit from it and try to shop online rather than hitting the store.

6. Take advantage of free shipping services

free shipping benefits

You can save money during holidays by avoiding those pesky shipping charges by availing the free delivery offers. So look out for retailers who offer you free shipping on your orders while shopping online for holiday shopping.

7. Use online coupons and promo codes.

Coupons and promo codes are best when it comes to grabbing the best deal. Especially during the holiday shopping season, online coupon code and promo codes are readily available to score a double dose of discounts.

Various sites like PennySaviour have onboard hundreds of brands and stores with their incredible deals and coupons. So whenever you shop for holidays, don't forget to use online coupons and promo codes.

8. Butter up salespersons to grab the best bargain 

butter up sales person

Let us tell you a secret, the nicer you are to store salesperson, the more you will get the deals. Very few persons realize that there are some hidden discounts in almost every store you walk into. And the best way to gain that discount and save money during holidays is to behave really well to impress the salesperson. 

All it will take is a simple, mild smile and your little charm. Just encounter the first salesperson in a pleasant mood and ask about discounts for the day. And you will pat us on the back for this trick.

9. Look for a shopping buddy

Whenever you plan to shop, always look for a shopping buddy. Various stores offer to buy one get one free. You can share your purchase expense and get the other item free. 

Also, various deals and coupons let you score the deal on the expenditure of a certain amount. But what if you don't want to spend that much money to get a discount?. Take a friend with you for shopping and pool your purchases. In that way, you both can nab the savings.

10. Look for garage sales and thrift stores

Thrift stores and garage sales are literally underrated. They are hidden treasure troves that are filled with potential presents and various items that won't empty your wallets. Forget about malls and look for them to save money during holidays. 

As it is a saying that 'one man's trash is another man's treasure.' So if you want to save money, shop for the items from thrift stores. Make sure you know which item you are looking for, and you will never buy online.

11. Take help from coupon apps

use coupon apps

Coupons, as you know, are best when it comes to saving. That is why coupon mobile apps are every savvy shopper's dream to embrace incredible savings. According to research, up to 78 % of optimistic parents use their smartphones to research products, deals, discounts, and check prices or availability. 

So if you try downloading coupon mobile apps, they are best as you can apply the best available and suitable coupons through a simple swipe of your finger. 

Apps like Shopular show you all the deals and sales in your favorite stores. Similarly, RetailMeNot mobile app provides the best available coupons and promo codes, both online and in-store. They are indeed your best-saving bet and extremely helpful save money during holidays.

12. Hold yourself for mega sales events

shop during Black Friday and Cyber Monday

If you are desperate to buy and shop for holidays and even get a seasonal deal, don't fall for it. It's better to wait for mega sales events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or even post-Christmas sales. 

In that way, you will not only have significant savings on various items, but you will also have a variety of options and choices to choose from. 

13. Spend less on traditions

Stop sending unnecessary Christmas cards or buying Waterford Crystal ornaments because your mom or your grandmother always did. Why do you even hold on to expensive traditions that are not popular anymore? They are not mean much to anyone now. You can save money during holidays by not following traditions.

We aren't suggesting you to stop celebrating. But we really want you to save the money that you spend on the card, which will end up in the dustbin anyway. 

14. Stop going extravaganza

stop celebrating extravaganza

Ordering a 20-layer, original Belgian or German chocolate cake for Santa is really a bad idea when you are on a budget. You should drop that idea as Santa doesn't need that many calories anyway. 

Long story short, make your holiday celebrations as simple as possible this year and don't shop for ingredients to make an extravaganza feast. You can cook delicious, lip smacking food at home and enjoy quality time with family. 

15. Avoid malls and shopping in-store

Big stores and retailers invest a lot to entice people to buy, and they are really good at it. They make sure that everything from merchandise display to store lighting and from music to decoration is there to trigger impulse purchases. 

In psychological terms, this is called the 'shopping momentum effect,' So if you are really on a budget and want to save money during holidays, avoid visiting malls and stores and try to shop online. And if you really want to visit the mall, counteract the phenomenon by strictly sticking to your shopping list.

16. Take advantage of the price matching policy

take advantage from price matching policy

Price matching policies offered by stores are the major thing you should consider for scoring the best deals. Various major retailers like Target have the policy of price matching. This means if you find the sales price of the same product at any other store cheaper than Target, you will get the best price. You just have to go to the store and show them their competitor's store's sales ad so they can match the prices of their competitors and provide you a significant price cutoff.

17. Shop from your neighborhood store

In this pandemic, you will surely want to skip the crazy crowds at the mall but you will also want to shop and save money during holidays. First, try to shop online. And if you don't like to shop online, hit up the stores located in your neighborhood. These stores will save your time and money as they may have some bigger deals than most stores. These shops need us more than we need them. So they will definitely welcome you with open arms.

18. Buy memories, not things

collect memories, not things

In this materialistic world, it's very easy to get caught up in the love of things and materials. We can totally forget the true meaning of holidays like Christmas: that is making memories. 

So invest in memories rather than buying useless trinkets that will just add clutter in your room. It is suggested to spend your holiday shopping budget on a meaningful, memorable event like zoo memberships, spa days, excursions, dinner dates, the theater, and more. Consider rather sacrificing the material and stuff so you can make memories together.

19. Know hacks to shop online

know online shopping hacks

Online shopping can score you a big deal if you know the secrets and hacks to do it. There are a few tips and hacks for online shopping to save money during holidays below:

While shopping online from any store, register yourself first if you're not registered. Registered customers get used to getting discounts too often.

If you are a retailer's registered customer, you will experience an awesome shopping journey with product recommendations.

Registered customers will get early access to upcoming sales and insider knowledge on the latest sales and promotions. 

Often add items to your cart, and leave it. The next time you sign-in, the retailer will remind you about those items and grant you a 10 to 20 % off incentive.

Always get in touch with an online customer service representative and ask if they can give you a discount.

So follow these online holiday shopping saving tips and make your pocket heavier.

20. Shop from newly open retail outlets

Everyone like designer brands, but not their price tags. So if you want cheap designer dresses at minimal prices and also want to save money during holidays, plan to visit the factory outlets or newly opened retail outlets. There is a lot of outlets and malls that let you register as a VIP member for free. This membership will gain you benefits in the long run.

21. Ask for coupon booklets

ask for coupon booklets

Try to get the coupon booklet from malls and stores. You can land even more discounts and savings by asking for a different coupon booklet at the mall customer service center. These coupons will let you grab the small items or great deals on your favorite products.

22. Don't get impulsive

It will be really easy to get impulsive for you when your favorite items are on sales. Money management during holiday shopping is necessary. So please give yourself time to think before falling for any products. Think about a gift's practicality and know that if it is worth buying or will become your impulsive purchase. 

23. Read reviews about products before you buy

read reveiws

Always read the reviews of the products before you buy them. Never ever buy anything the first time you see it. You can save your time and save money during holidays as these reviews will let you invest in better products that will last long. 

24. Use discounted gift cards for gifting

use discounted gifts cards

When you are on a tight budget, gift cards are your helpers. They are the best and creative way to save money during holidays. They can shop and can become the perfect gift to give when you are confused and out of ideas.

So save your money and use online platforms like Cardpool, which is a gift card heaven. The platform has the best gift cards for you. All your favorite stores and retailers, including Macy's, Target, Airbnb, Best Buy, Apple, etc. And you know what is best of them all, these gift cards are available for up to 35 % off discounted prices as people sell back their unused gift cards.

25. Get crafty with recipes

get crafty with your recipes

The holidays are all about gifting. And if your budget is tighter, you should get your creative juices flowing and save money during holidays. Nothing express your love more than a thoughtful crafty gift straight from the heart. 

It will be many more meaningful gifts if you bake someone a pie or cake, a photo album, or personalized gifts. You want to have an idea, go to this blog for perfect personalized gift ideas.

26. Let your kids shop from their pocket money

Let your kids give the freedom to shop from their own pocket money. It will help your children depend on their own and save you a lot of impulse purchasing during holidays. If children will shop their own, you will feel less burden on your pocket and save money during holidays. So if your child's piggy bank is full, ask them to break it to buy their own presents for friends and family.

27. Be a patient buyer

The holiday season, i.e., the last quarter of the year, is a blessing for smart shoppers. They think about Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas shopping all year round to. So to save money during holidays shopping, shop gradually little by little, instead of spending hundreds of dollars in a single month. So be patient enough and shop wisely.

28. Add discount shopping extensions to your browser

use extensions to your browsers for discounts

If you want to get frugal and save money during holidays, use the add-ons to your Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browsers. The extensions like The Camelizer and Honey torpedo the price of the stuff you want to buy online. 

For instance, the Camelizer works on products of Amazon and displays the history price of an item. When an item goes on sale at your desired price, you will be alerted through a price alert option.

Similarly, Honey scours the Internet for every coupon and discount code that applies to your purchase whenever you're ready to check out in an online retail store.

29. Start window shopping early

Window shopping is the best way to get knowledge about the price of an item. So when it goes on sale, you will get to know whether it is worth buying or not and save money during holidays. Many stores release their holiday deals online early. So if you know the prices ahead of time, you can judge whether the item on sales price is worth purchasing or not.

30. Count up your change

count up on your change

If you are a savvy saver and throw your spare change in your piggy bank, you can efficiently save your budget these holidays. Pull out your collected change and get the deposit in your account. 

You will be amazed to find that you have many dollars you have saved just from the saved up change at the end of the year. This is a quick and easy way to recover the lack of funds needed for the holidays.

31. Use the handmade card for gifting instead of expensive gifts

If you are creative, and you can make and design a holiday or Christmas card your own, go for it and save on an expensive commercial gift. A thoughtfully designed personalized Christmas card shows people that you really care about them and think of them.

32. Combine your orders

While shopping online, research about the retailer first that if they are offering free shipping or not. If they are charging, try to buy all the items inside that store. Keep asking your family and friends if they need anything from that store. Combine all your orders and get them shipped at once. In that manner, you will end up saving a lot of money that you have to pay on separate orders.

33. Use order online and pick the in-store option.

Always check out pick in-store options on the retailer's website you are shopping from. There are many retailers who offer this service for free, and they don't even have any term of a minimum order. All you will do is to inform them of your nearest store location, select the order online, and fetch it from the store when it's ready. The shipping charges will be exempted and you will end up save money during holidays. 

34. Do not use a credit card

do not use credit card

A credit card gives you immense freedom to shop with an open heart. So never use it while you shop. Always use a debit card or cash instead of in order to have a proper check on your spending. This will give you a thought and sense of how much is your affordability is.

35. Use different sites that offer cash back

Many sites allow their consumers to save money during holidays. They can shop online and get cashback nearly on everything. This offer is available regardless of a sale going on in the store or not. This is simply possible due to the affiliate relationships of these sites with retailers.

To sign up for these cashback sites, choose options like Ebates, TopCashBack, and Mr. Rebates. 

Please save your money on holiday online shopping by visiting them directly instead of the store's website. 

36. Don't spend on decoration

save money on decorations

Decorations are necessary, but they really add up a burden on your budget. If you really want to spend less on your holiday shopping, please stop spending on useless decoration items. Instead, use the last year's decoration or borrow from someone. At least you will not regret the wastage after the holidays.

37. Start holiday saving account

There are a lot of banks that offer monetary benefits on opening a holiday saving account. Just start the account and deposit some cash in it to save money during holidays. A little bit of foreseen act goes a long way. For instance, you can get a profit for up to $25 if you open a new account and deposit $250. In this way, you can save a lot for your holiday shopping.

38. Keep your receipts with you

keep your reciepts

You can even save on holiday shopping budget while you keep your receipts safe with you. Sometimes you purchase an item early, and it gets markdown later on. So you can exchange that item and get the saving in the form of cashback. Isn't this idea amazing?

39. Avoid last-minute shopping

Never ever be lazy enough to shop at the last moment. This 'panic spending' will cost you a lot as you don't have time to compare the prices. You will not be able to save money during holidays. So, we advise all shoppers to avoid holding up until the final days to shop for holidays.

40. Recycle the gifts

recycle your gifts

It is considered so bad to re-gift, and it has a very ill reputation. But when you are low on budget and want to save money during holidays, it's time to recycle the gifts that you have never used. Seriously, it's totally okay to recycle gifts, but there are some ground rules you have to follow. Like never gift used items, never gift opposite to persona and be tactful.

41. Use social media and online communities.

Follow all the brands and retailers on their social media platforms. These brands often announce deals only for their social media followers. So make sure to follow the stores on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Also, you can join community-based websites like Reddit, where various people offer deals and coupons.

Bottom Line

A few years ago, there was a survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The final report stated that the average consumer spent over $935.00 during the holiday season. It includes food, greeting cards, postage, decorations, and gifts. And now this figure has increased to over $1,000.00 for an average shopper. That is why it is necessary to avoid over expenditure and save money during holidays. Follow these amazing tips above and save more than you expect on your holiday shopping.


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41 Ways To Save Money On Holiday Shopping