Today is a special edition of Money Management Monday; The Christmas Edition (yes, I know that it's not even Halloween yet, but I'm doing this early, so you will have time to implement it before it's December and you've already gone insane!)! If you follow these tips for Christmas Shopping, it will not only save you a bundle of money (!), but it will ensure that you will stay sane, and actually enjoy the Holiday Season!
If you'd like to save even more money, here are my previous 9 Money Management Monday Tips!
1. Don't own a smart phone.
2. Don't have a car payment.
3. Don't smoke cigarettes.
4. Don't play the lottery.
5. Purchase my Financial E-Course.
6. Live Cheaply
7. Be Positive about Your Money.
8. Financial Course.
9. Decide what is important to you.
If you want to save even more money, consider purchasing my Financial E-Course, now only $10!!!
If you'd like to save even more money, here are my previous 9 Money Management Monday Tips!
1. Don't own a smart phone.
2. Don't have a car payment.
3. Don't smoke cigarettes.
4. Don't play the lottery.
5. Purchase my Financial E-Course.
6. Live Cheaply
7. Be Positive about Your Money.
8. Financial Course.
9. Decide what is important to you.
If you want to save even more money, consider purchasing my Financial E-Course, now only $10!!!
Money Saving Secret #10. Simplify/Cheapify your Christmas Shopping!
I have here for you, my full list of how to Simplify your Christmas Shopping; How to save a bundle on your Christmas Shopping, and how to not go insane during the Holidays! If you simplify/cheapify your Christmas Shopping, it will not only save you a lot of money, it will keep you happy, calm, and sane during December!
1. Do your Christmas Shopping year 'round!
All year long, whether I'm at a garage sale, thrift store, or the clearance rack at the store, if I see something that reminds me of somebody, or that I know they will love, I buy it! This is the biggest Christmas money saver ever, and will make sure that you aren't stressed during the Holidays! Because think about it; you won't have to rush around 3 weeks before Christmas, buying the first thing you see for someone, cuz you can't find anything else, and don't have enough time to thoroughly look for something good! Because I have all year to look and find things, I get people AWESOME presents, that they LOVE! I just got a season of "Bonanza" on DVD for $3 at a garage sale for my dad (he's going to LOVE it! And it was only $3! You can't beat that!!!), a couple of really cute t-shirts (for a quarter!) for my sister also at a garage sale, a dvd for my brother at a pawn shop yesterday for $1.50, and I just got a coupon for get $15 off when you spend $30 at a store in the mall (you know they don't have sales like that around Christmas time!), so this week I will be going there and buying some more Christmas gifts!
But the point is, whenever Christmas rolls around, I don't get stressed, because I already have completely awesome, unique and one of a kind presents bought for everyone! I simply put them away in a box in my closet, and there they sit until Christmas! AND this will make sure that you will spread out your buying throughout the year, meaning you won't have to drop all the money at once! That really helps with the money situation, plus if I'm buying 25 cents to $5 presents all year, I spend waaaay less than the average person who rushes to Wal Mart or the mall at the last minute and drops a couple hundred dollars!
I'm usually done with my Christmas shopping by October, and the rest of the year I am completely stress-free, and can completely enjoy the Holidays!!!
2. Don't spend so much money!
THAT simple! Every year for Christmas, since I was little, my mom spends $100 on each of us kids. Yup! Only $100! And we are FINE! I have NEVER felt ripped off on Christmas! We have always had enough, and we didn't get spoiled (which is a pretty good bonus)! Plus she followed a lot of these tips to get us good stuff for only $100!
3. Make a gift!
It's fun, easy (sometimes), cheap, one-of-a-kind, personalized, uses recycled materials, and people LOVE it!
4. Buy something handmade on Etsy or in my Shop!
Support the wonderful artists that are selling their handmade items online! Whatever you get, it is sure to be completely original and one-of-a-kind! Plus, you're supporting PEOPLE (not corporations)!
5. Buy things at thrift stores, and consignment shops.
This is probably the best tip to buying cheap Christmas presents. You never know what you'll find at a thrift store! I have bought most of my gifts over the years, that I never would have found (or at least for triple what I paid for it) somewhere else! This also helps recycle things! It can't go to the dump if you're buying it! Plus, this just supports even more my belief that we need to wean ourselves from giant corporations! Imagine if everyone supported their local and small businesses! How much better would these people's lives be?! To support people, plus save a lot of money, try going to;
-Flea Markets
-Thrift Stores (try your local charity thrift store, it will be a lot cheaper than Goodwill [which isn't even a charity company], plus support local charities!)
-Consignment Shops
-Pawn Shops
-Garage Sales
-Church Rummage Sales (fill a bag for $2?!! You simply can not get better than that!!!)
-Ebay
...The possibilities are endless!
6. Bake cookies (or chocolate covered candy).
It's a fun Christmas tradition that I look forward to every year, and it makes such great presents for people like the postman, your landlord, neighbors, and people you work with! And plus, who doesn't love chocolate?!!
7. You don't have to buy an ipod, and laptop, and phone, and camera...
When I was younger (wow that makes me feel old haha!), I saved up for all that stuff! I
worked hard and bought myself my first mp3 player from saving up money from waitressing. Same with my ipod, and laptop I have now! It is so good for kids to save money themselves for big items like this! It will teach them responsibility, and help so they won't be spoiled! If you still want to get them those things, just get them ONE! It is INSANE to buy more than one of those things for one person!
8. Buy Christmas presents for next Christmas, the week after Christmas!
It's a fun tradition for me, my mom, and my sister to go out a couple days after Christmas and buy a bunch of the Christmas packaged gifts they have that is marked down 50-75% after Christmas! The body washes and spray sets are really good gifts to give to people, and are really cheap!
Now go on, get some early Christmas Shopping done, and enjoy the Holidays (cuz if you don't enjoy them, then what's the point?!!)!!!
This is probably the best tip to buying cheap Christmas presents. You never know what you'll find at a thrift store! I have bought most of my gifts over the years, that I never would have found (or at least for triple what I paid for it) somewhere else! This also helps recycle things! It can't go to the dump if you're buying it! Plus, this just supports even more my belief that we need to wean ourselves from giant corporations! Imagine if everyone supported their local and small businesses! How much better would these people's lives be?! To support people, plus save a lot of money, try going to;
-Flea Markets
-Thrift Stores (try your local charity thrift store, it will be a lot cheaper than Goodwill [which isn't even a charity company], plus support local charities!)
-Consignment Shops
-Pawn Shops
-Garage Sales
-Church Rummage Sales (fill a bag for $2?!! You simply can not get better than that!!!)
-Ebay
...The possibilities are endless!
6. Bake cookies (or chocolate covered candy).
It's a fun Christmas tradition that I look forward to every year, and it makes such great presents for people like the postman, your landlord, neighbors, and people you work with! And plus, who doesn't love chocolate?!!
7. You don't have to buy an ipod, and laptop, and phone, and camera...
When I was younger (wow that makes me feel old haha!), I saved up for all that stuff! I
worked hard and bought myself my first mp3 player from saving up money from waitressing. Same with my ipod, and laptop I have now! It is so good for kids to save money themselves for big items like this! It will teach them responsibility, and help so they won't be spoiled! If you still want to get them those things, just get them ONE! It is INSANE to buy more than one of those things for one person!
8. Buy Christmas presents for next Christmas, the week after Christmas!
It's a fun tradition for me, my mom, and my sister to go out a couple days after Christmas and buy a bunch of the Christmas packaged gifts they have that is marked down 50-75% after Christmas! The body washes and spray sets are really good gifts to give to people, and are really cheap!
Now go on, get some early Christmas Shopping done, and enjoy the Holidays (cuz if you don't enjoy them, then what's the point?!!)!!!
Peace Love and Christmas
Jess <3
