Holiday savings tips for 2022
Are you gearing up for this year’s holiday shopping season? As the inflation news has shown us, you’ll need to do what you can to maximize your spending potential.
Use our guide to four money-saving hacks to help you get more from your money — and not blow out your budget for holiday shopping!
1. Set Your Budget and Stick to It!
Probably the most valuable tip on this list, your budget should reflect your plan for holiday spending. You may not want to hear about “planning” several months before Christmas. But some minor steps you take right now can save you big later — on both time and money.
Panicked, impulsive shopping means you may have trouble finding gifts for your loved ones. And you’ll almost always spend more to get last-minute presents.
List out your spending targets, amounts you’re able to spend on people, and gift options that fit that price range. The more you do now, the easier it will be when the shopping season rolls around.
2. Take Advantage of Credit Card Rewards
Credit card rewards are a potential avenue for a decent amount of savings, depending on which card you’re using. For example, cash-back rewards cards can range anywhere from 1% to 5% or more depending on where and when you buy. Also, points or other incentives may be available for holiday shopping to give you even more ways to save some cash.
Credit cards are a somewhat tricky beast, so make sure you strictly follow your budget when using them. If you overspend and carry balances on your cards, the interest will completely invalidate the savings or points you used in the first place.
3. Buy Gift Cards at a Discount
Many vendors, restaurants, and stores offer great deals on their gift card before the holiday. For example, if you buy one $50 gift card, you get a $15 card for free. For places where you plan on shopping anyway, this is a simple way to get even more bang for your buck.
Some services also provide discount gift card purchases. Examples include Raise or CardCash. Make sure you read the fine print on these sorts of incentives, as your mileage may vary on how much savings you can expect.
4. Amazon Tricks to Save
Shopping online using Amazon? Like most of us, opting for online shopping makes things even easier during the stressful holiday season. And there are several ways you can better save.
Compare prices and buy lower.
Camelcamelcamel is a highly popular price tracker for Amazon. You can use it to see the current price of an item and compare whether it is higher or lower than average. Only buy products when they trend low.
Use Amazon Warehouse
Amazon Warehouse offers high-quality used, pre-owned, and other opened products for sale at a discount from the original prices. Many times, the items are only open boxed, rarely or never used, and returned. Amazon guarantees quality on these items as well, so you can shop confidently.
Savings Help Made Easy
Saving money isn’t always easy. But with a few tricks and some strategic saving, you can have a great holiday filled with gifts that does not put you into the poor house.
