How I'm Saving Money This Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year- and also the most expensive. Christmas is by far my most favourite time of the year. I just love all of the decorations, the food, the Christmas carols and of course spending time with my loved ones. However, the end of year celebrations certainly take a toll on our finances as we take time off, travel more, and obviously spend a whole lot of money on food and gifts.
It's a very expensive time of year, so I try my best to save money where I can to avoid a full on budget blowout.
Here are some of the ways I'm saving money this Christmas.
Shopping the sales
I love a good bargain so that’s why I’m taking advantage of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales this year and getting the bulk of my Christmas shopping done while things are on sale. I have a tight budget this year so being able to buy things on sale
Doing Secret Santa
Instead of buying for our entire family, we're participating in Secret Santa. Secret Santa is a fun gift giving game where each family member is randomly assigned a person to buy a present for. This means we only have to buy 4 presents for family members instead of 32!!
Using cashback apps
I've been checking ShopBack and CashRewards for the best cashback deals before I make my purchases. They’ve had upsized deals for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales which meant I was able to score up to 30% cashback on some of my purchases.
Making homemade gifts
When it comes to gift giving, I absolutely love making and receiving homemade gifts. Not only are they incredibly special, but they’re also a great way to show loved ones how much they mean to us without breaking the bank. This year my kids are helping me make some special photos gifts and Christmas cards for our family members.
Using ReceiptJar
I've been making a lot of purchases lately so I've been using ReceiptJar to scan my receipts and earn gift cards.
If you're interested in using ReceiptJar you can use my referral code MADISOC7 for 200 bonus points when you scan your first receipt.
Doing more surveys
I'm trying to squeeze in some more surveys at the moment so I have some extra money for Christmas presents. I'm also redeeming gift cards so I can buy Christmas food from the supermarket.
You can check out my latest blog post for more information on the surveys I’m currently using to make extra money.
Planning purchases
Before I head out shopping I make sure to plan my purchases first! It's very easy to get carried away this time of the year, so I set spending limits and plan what I'm going to buy ahead of time. This makes it a whole lot easier to stay in control and prevent a budget blowout.
Utilising loyalty programs
I never want to miss a chance to get a good deal so I've been making sure to scan my loyalty cards when I do my shopping so I can earn rewards on my purchases. I've also been checking the deals on my flybuys and everyday rewards accounts to make sure I'm not missing out on any bonus points or special offers.
