Holidays On A Budget - SOMER SAVES YOU

Christmas gifts wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for the many ways we do holidays on a budget. In our household, gifts are always a yes. Gift giving is indeed my one true love language; so trust me when I tell you how creative I am in order for my family to afford giving generously every year.

It’s not just about getting good deals or scoring gifts for cheap. Sometimes it’s more about getting paid back for the gifts you already plan on purchasing.

If I had to ballpark how much my family spends each holiday season, I’d say it’s less than $500 TOTAL throughout the months of November – December. This includes baking batches and batches of Christmas cookies, purchasing gifts for friends and family, donating to extra Christmas offerings at church, filling Operation Christmas boxes, and covering any travel expenses depending on who we’re visiting for Christmas.

I’m sharing my strategies for spending less and giving more so you can enjoy the holidays on a budget too!

6 Tips For Doing Holidays On A Budget

Get paid to shop online. If you choose to shop through cash back apps like Rakuten or Fetch, you’ll actually get a kickback for every purchase you make. This could be $10 back on those Burt’s Bee’s family jammies you really want or $50 back on that hotel stay you’ll be booking when visiting family members.

Here’s how cash back online works: Open your cash back app of choice – Look up the store or website you choose to shop through – Click “shop” and stay within the page or website the “shop” button takes you to. BE SURE NOT TO CLOSE THE WEBSITE YOU’RE SHOPPING THROUGH UNTIL YOU’VE FULLY FINISHED THE CHECKOUT PROCESS. Check back on the app within the next few days and see the cash back rolling in!

2. Handcraft your own holiday decor. If you’re looking to switch up the decorations this year without the TJ Maxx price tag, create your own decor with things already in your home! Google, Pinterest, Instagram, and Tiktok are you best friends when it comes to learning how to make your own holiday decorations on a small budget.

Here’s an example!

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3. Make homemade gifts. After finishing your handmade decorations, move onto homemade gifts. From homemade jam to painted photo frames for grandma and grandpa, remember gifts are not about the price tag, but more about the heart behind them.

Once again, hit up all the social media platforms for inspiration on the best handmade gifts. Maybe start with these list of 14 Easy Homemade Christmas Gift Ideas.

4. Shop clearance (ALL YEAR LONG). Thanks to clearance and reduced items, I score Christmas gifts for a fraction of regular prices. My advice? Stock up when you see things for cheap, then save them for Christmas.

5. Get paid for baking holiday meals. Have you heard of Ibotta? This app is the golden ticket to getting paid for the exact holiday meal you plan to prepare. From corn bread mix to cranberry sauce and a whole turkey – Ibotta wants to pay your back for your holiday meal purchases!

Just download the Ibotta app, sign up, look up the grocery store you plan to shop at, add specific offers from each grocery store with the ” + ” button, then upload your receipt. Wait a day or so and you’ll be credited for the products you purchased that qualify!

6. Thrift your gifts. There is absolutely NO shame in finding the gifts you plan to pass on at the thrift store, especially when those gifts are brand new with tags. The thrift store is a incredible treasure trove with more unique options than department stores can even offer. Consider finding your kiddos a couple gently used toys that are “new” to them. Or thrift cute reusable containers from the thrift store so you can easily pass out Christmas cookies in.

And while we’re on the topic of holidays on a budget, be sure to seek out all the free events and activities your local community has to offer. Last year, my kids met Santa (multiple times), our family visited a free light show, and I attended a cookie swap all for free! Try googling “free Christmas events in __________” (insert your city).