Ways to save money this holiday season!

This is my most favorite time of the year but one thing I dislike is how expensive it can get if you let it. There are a lot of people who even dread the holidays because they don’t have the money and it can be extremely stressful. Well, the holidays don’t have to break the bank and I’ve come up with a few of my favorite money saving tricks. The best thing about the holidays is spending time with family being happy, that doesn’t cost a dime(unless your only family lives far away, that’s a different story lol). Below is my list of ways – most simple – to save $$ this holiday season!

1. Budget! Grab a piece of paper and pen – write out who you all want to buy gifts for and how much you want to spend. I’ve learned to not only budget for gifts but also the misc around the holidays; the huge dinners, tree, Santa pictures, ect… all those add up, that way for the most part I am prepared for what I will be spending. And try your hardest to stick to your budget/list.
2. My number one store for stocking stuffers is the Dollar Store! Don’t feel your stockings up with candy just because it’s cheap. Go to your local $1 Store for great stuffers; kids, adults, pets, something for everyone. We’ve found toys there for $1 and seen them at a regular store for like $2-3 more.
3. Take advantage of your crockpot! Nothing better than a bowl of hot soup after a long winter day. Maybe it’s just us but during winter we tend to be extremely busy and have little time to make dinner so if I haven’t planned ahead and put something in the crockpot we resort to take out.
4. Planning on hosting Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner? Why not ask someone to bring something to help out a little – desserts, drinks, appetizers are perfect!
5. We love going to the movies during the winter, it’s the perfect fun for a cold rainy day. But going to the movies isn’t always cheap. Attend a matinee or find out if any local theaters have deal days. Regal has $5 Tuesdays for reward card holders(it’s free), you can save on the popcorn too, double check if your local Regal does. So, if there is some activity you love, check out their day with the best deal.
6. Take advantage of any local free activities happening. If you’re local to the Pierce County area and have children, go check out my list of free or cheap fun that we love Free & Cheap Rainy Day Fun in Pierce County! Bass Pro Shop has free Santa photos or local towns festivals usually have Santa photos for cheap!! (Just a tip those mall Santa’s are ridiculous) Subscribe to any blogs that send out weekly happenings around your area, a lot of time they post about free fun too. Soundsfunmom.com sends out a wonderful weekend list that I love! Groupon usually has local deals for things such as holiday cards, train rides, ect.
7. Yes, it is so convenient to purchase that coffee from a shop but that $4-5 cup of coffee each day really adds up. Make yourself a pot of coffee, get some good creamers, do whatever it is to save a ton of money!
8. Love baking all sorts of cookies, host a cookie exchange so you get that variety of cookies without paying the money for all those different ingredients.
9. Hit up any sale, clearance sections of stores, shop online, cyber Monday, black Friday! Carry around your list you made and stick to it!
10. If you can skip a you cut tree farm or even most of the tree stands on the side of the road. In the past I’ve noticed stores will have coupons or sales on their Christmas trees(as much as half off what you’d be paying at the farms/stands), they all come from the same place so why not save $$.