How to Save Money on Holiday Gifts
During the holidays, people feel pressure to purchase the perfect gift for family and friends. Unfortunately, the perfect gift often tends to be expensive, and many people start the New Year with loads of holiday debt. Fortunately, there are simple, cost-effective ways to find great gifts!
Buy Online
One of the greatest holiday tips is to buy presents online. Many online distributors offer great items for a fraction of the cost of traditional stores. Not only that, sites like eBay and Amazon will actually compare the prices of product, revealing the cheapest price and a link to that merchant.
eBay is another great site to purchase holiday gifts. Many people assume that all eBay products are previously owned items. However, there are tons of new items ready to be purchased through eBay. Typing in the word “new” before a search will reveal all new products. Most eBay products are sold in an auction-type setting, so it’s much easier to find competitive prices.
Buy in Bulk
Not all gifts have to be out of the ordinary. In fact, many people like getting practical gifts that they can use often. In this case, buying in bulk will not only save money, but it will provide practical gifts for many people. Warehouse Clubs offer significant discounts on items bought in bulk. Items like body lotion, scented candles, and even holiday snacks make perfect gifts for many people.
Make a Gift
Making a gift is definitely the most cost-effective option for gift giving. Sometimes homemade gifts are the ones that are most appreciated. A working mother may appreciate a homemade recipe book of quick and easy meals. These recipes can be printed on an index card and slipped into a small, picture album. Christmas cookies always make a great gift people with a sweet tooth. A picture frame that contains a special photograph is a sentimental gift that almost anyone would love. Almost any skill or hobby can be used to create a unique, homemade gift.
Make a Schedule
Holiday shopping can be fun, but it should also be regarded as a job. It’s quite common to buy a product at full price only to discover that it was on sale the day before. This is infuriating. That’s why it’s vital to keep a holiday calendar handy. Writing in sale dates advertised in the newspaper, on TV, and on the radio provides an overview of which stores to visit on specific days. Scheduling out holiday shopping around sales will really save money.
Make Coupons
Gifts don’t always have to be products. Offering services such as cooking, cleaning, or babysitting can make a wonderful gift. A colorful, homemade coupon that reads “Good for One Car Wash” can make anyone smile as much as an expensive present. The upside of offering services for a present is that the gift can be customized for different people, providing unique and thoughtful ways to help others.
Gifting With Love
The holiday season is one when people truly want to express their feelings, and most people feel that giving is a lot more fun than receiving. When it’s all said and done, people don’t remember the gift; they remember the person. It’s not difficult to give a present that expresses love, and luckily, love doesn’t cost a dime.
Affordable Eco-Friendly Christmas Shopping Tips
With a little advanced planning, it is easy to save time and money at Christmas. This can be done while using environmentally friendly practices. The holiday season shouldn’t break the bank, and it doesn’t have to. The holiday spirit is about spending quality time with friends and family, and it doesn’t have to be stressful.
Shopping online, purchasing bargain gift bags, stocking up on Christmas decorations during boxing week and organizing Secret Santas are excellent ways to save valuable time and money during the holidays. Consider these eco-friendly holiday stress-breakers and have a joyous holiday season.
Shop Online to Save Time and Avoid Lineups
Shopping online is a great way to save both time and money during the holiday season. Many websites offer secure credit card payment options and fast delivery to the buyer’s home.
To save money, it is beneficial to buy several presents from one website, as larger orders are often eligible for free shipping. Shoppers shouldn’t leave online shopping until the last minute – the postal system is usually busier and therefore slower during late December due to large volumes of activity. Shopping early will pay off financially since the cost of shipping and handling is usually cheaper, if not free, when customers select standard delivery rather than express delivery, writes website titled Online Casinos in Kenya
According to Dr. Julia Edwards of Heriot-Watt University, shopping online is far more environmentally friendly than visiting stores in person. She states that “twenty-seven items need to be bought on a dedicated car journey to the shops to achieve the same level of efficiency” as shopping online (The OnLine Green Awards, London England, 2008). Carbon emissions are a concern in today’s world, and shopping online is a responsible way to help reduce them.
Bargain Reusable Gift Bags
Gift bags are an excellent environmentally friendly alternative to wrapping paper. The solution is to shop at local dollar stores which often sell two or three gift bags for one dollar. At the end of the holiday season, received gift bags can be stored away for next year. Not only is this practice environmentally friendly, but it is cost efficient as well.
Stock up on Christmas Decorations During Boxing Week
Boxing week is the time to buy discounted Christmas decorations, as they are often 50-75% off. Shoppers can find tree decorations, Christmas lights, gift bags, wrapping paper, Christmas cards and house decorations at great prices after the holidays. This strategy involves a little organization, because after boxing week these items generally disappear from stores until the following December, when the prices are marked up again. It should be kept in mind that purchasing items with minimal packaging maximizes environmental friendliness.
The Secret Santas System Makes Christmas Easier
Big families, friends and workplaces can choose to use the Secret Santas method of gift giving to save money and time spent picking out gifts. Everyone in a gift-giving pool writes their name on a piece of paper, and the names go in a hat. Each gift-giver selects a name from the hat, and the name they draw is the only person they have to buy a present for.
If it is not possible for everyone in the gift-giving pool to get together to do this, one member of the group can arrange who will by a gift for whom. This person will distribute the names by phone, email or mail. Secret Santas can be a lot of fun when each member of the group, or Secret Santa, leaves clues to his or her identity for the gift-receiver. To save paper, clues can be left by email.
Secret Santas doesn’t necessarily have to involve secrets; some groups know who is buying for whom from the start. The group should decide on a maximum price limit for gifts to keep spending reasonable and fair. As an alternative to the traditional method of Secret Santas, individuals can arrange to give gifts to every member of their immediate families, but arrange a Secret Santas system with their extended families.
Christmas can be more enjoyable and less stressful with these time and money-saving ideas. Making eco-friendly choices and saving money should go hand-in-hand!
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