We have talked in the past about different ways to save money for things such as a Christmas budget, vacation, or unexpected expenses. Another way to make your Christmas more economical is to shop all year!

It might sound a little odd, but it really does work. When you keep an eye on things throughout the year, you are able to take advantage of clearance sales, liquidation sales or flash sales, which in turn can save you even more money than the sales around the holidays!

An easy way to do this/keep track of this is to find a spot in your house where you can hide/store gifts. Then set up a list on your smartphone (Microsoft OneNote works great for this, or any other app that allows you to keep a list). You can make a list of everyone that you would shop for. Then, through the year, as you find things, add it to your list, that way you’ll know who you already bought a gift for and you won’t get confused/double buy things.

Usually, by the time the holidays officially arrive, I’m completely done with my shopping other than picking up a few stocking stuffers. It works great!

To make sales shopping even easier, download an app like “Flipp” which gives you the weekly flyers right in one app, to make sales shopping even easier. If you prefer to buy local, keep an eye out on craft sales, as many crafters will reduce a previous year’s stock to make room for new items they are making and selling.

Finally, for online shoppers, Honey is a MUST HAVE. Honey is an add-on for your internet browser, and it will automatically check for deals on things you purchase online. As you’re shopping, when you go to checkout, a notice will pop up if Honey has found a discount for that particular store, and all you have to do is click “apply discounts” and if it’s a valid discount it is automatically applied without you having to do anything. It’s a really nice bonus!

What money saving tips work for you when it comes to shopping for the holidays; we’d love to hear from you!

 

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay