I just spent a few days in Chicago at the SaveUp 2010 conference, sponsored by Savings.com. All of us DealPros shared tips on holiday shopping and celebrations.
I took notes.
Do this right now:
Sign up for store newsletters because they will include exclusive coupons. Start a new e-mail account for this.
If you’re the parent or caregiver of a child, sign up for Amazon Mom because it includes a free three-month trial of Amazon Prime (in other words, free two-day shipping).
Decide how much you can afford to spend for everything. This includes charitable donations, special holiday meals and any entertaining you plan to do.
Don’t forget to put “stocking stuffers” on the list. Otherwise you’ll go over budget the week before Christmas.
Talk to your family (including extended family) about ways to reduce the gift-giving pressure. For example, have each person draw a name, or declare that Christmas is only for those only under 18 or over 80. Or make the holiday about someone else by suggesting everyone bring canned items for the food bank. One woman’s extended family put together gift baskets and delivered them to refugee families. (If it’s too late to do this for 2010, bring it up in mid-January; by then the relatives who overdid it will be looking at credit card bills and possibly interested in changing their profligate ways.)
Make a list of every person for whom you want to buy and start reading the leaked Black Friday ads.
Order discounted gift cards to pay for purchases from certain stores. You’ll save an extra 3 to 30% on top of other discounts (more on those below).
Watch coupon circulars for coupons for toys, games and DVDs. They’re right in there among the cents-off toothpaste and pasta.
Planning a debt-free Christmas but worried about carrying too much cash? Open a separate bank account and get a debit card. Shop with the card. When it stops working, you’re done.
Get ready, get set…shop!
Buying online? Start at 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday.
Look for online coupons and discounts. Some sites allow you to stack the discounts.
Order through a cash-back shopping site if possible. But do not use a coupon code you found elsewhere because this may void the cash back.
Shopping in person? Bring the ads with you and ask for price matches. You might be able to get all your good deals in one place.
Tag-team shop. Bring a buddy so you can divide and conquer, i.e., each of you looking for specific specials. You can also talk each other out of overspending.
Cash rules! Take your budgeted funds (or your new debit card) along with you. When you’re out, you’re out.
If you’re using a credit card: Track your spending, either on paper or with a phone app.
Consider a gift’s ramifications. For example, a cell phone requires a monthly bill and a game system needs games.
Dazzled by gadgets or tech items? Buy only it they will really make a difference in someone’s life. Otherwise it’s just more clutter.
Electronics prices will likely improve as Christmas gets closer.
Picking out an item from the Angel Tree? Don’t buy the gift right there in the mall. Use the shopping tips noted above.
Take advantage of hot deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, but remember that good sales will be announced right up until the last few days before Christmas. Don’t feel you have to buy it all on one or two days.
If you overspend, take a few things back. That is, as long as no one has tried to put them together yet.
Party tricks
Don’t spend money mailing invitations: E-mail, use a service like Evite or set up an event on Facebook.
Co-host a holiday party with a friend or relative. It takes the stress off and you will meet new people.
Make it a potluck. Ask people to bring their recipes along for those who want to make this dish for themselves.
Decorate with things you already have: A clear glass bowl of red and green apples, a few wrapped Christmas gifts (or empty boxes covered in holiday paper) on the table, five or six candles grouped together and lit.
Hit the dollar store for decorations and certain food items (pasta, gingersnaps, fancy marinated vegetables).
One “signature” drink can work for everyone. For example, apple cider can be enjoyed by all ages. Heated, it makes the house smell really good (kids might want it cold, though). I’ve seen cinnamon sticks at the dollar store, so why not put them out for stirring? These would work well with hot chocolate, too.
Once the dust has cleared
Recap your holiday — what worked, what didn’t — and take notes for next year. It will keep you from making that side dish that no one liked, or from buying anything made with animal products for the niece who recently became a vegan.
Begin next year’s decoration- and gift-buying at the post-holiday clearance sales. Keep it up throughout the year. I’d also suggest checking yard sales and thrift stores, where you can often find like-new items or items that are still shrink-wrapped.
Inventory your purchases. Next fall you’ll be happy to note how much decor and wrapping paper and how many presents you’ve already got on hand.
Readers: Got any hot shopping/saving/decorating tips? Please share!
One thing that brings me less stress over holiday shopping is a Christmas club account. Every week I put $10 to $25 in the account (some weeks maybe more if it’s available; my CU doesn’t have set deposits every week). I start my club the first or second week of November and when the following October comes around, the CU sends out a check to me. This year we have less than usual because my husband lost his job in April, so we had to tighten up the budget A LOT. I was able to save $600.00 in my account, so shopping this year has still be less stressful than it could be.
Donna
I’d like to hook this post up to my blog. The information is wonderful for my target audience. (young families)
Let me know if you are interested.
Thank you.
Lynn
@Lynn: I’d love a link. Thank you.
Students get a free year of Amazon Prime!
Shopping through cash back websites is a great option for saving money when shopping online. Being a thrifty online buyer, I always (especially during holiday season) use cash back websites like ShopAtHome, AAfter Search and Ebates, and MrRebates.
Related to gift-giving pressure… Over the past few years as our family has increased in size (nieces and nephews getting married), our time together has decreased greatly. With everyone coming and going to different families, there is a small window of opportunity for everyone to be together.
This year, in order to reduce the craziness that happened last year, our plan is to reduce our family gathering to ONE of the traditions: BINGO. This is the best part of Christmas in my mind because all ages can play and have fun! Each family unit brings 5 – 10 inexpensive wrapped gifts – things like fingernail polish, matchbox cars, silly string, ice scrapers, plastic hangers, etc. We play BINGO and each time someone calls that out, they take a gift but don’t unwrap it. This continues until the pile of gifts is gone, then we start stealing from each other; our only rule is that you can’t steal anyone’s last gift so everyone ends up with at least one thing. The longer you play, the more multiple BINGOS there are and items fly back and forth across the room. It seems that every year there is one item that everyone is vying for. After all balls have been played, we unwrap. It’s always such fun to see that the green shiny box that everyone was fighting over was a box of Saltine crackers, or a plastic napkin holder! 🙂
Inexpensive, fun, and mostly stress-free! A true joy at Christmas.
@Anne: What fun! I’d like to try this one myself. I bet I won’t be the only one. Thanks for sharing it.