My Christmas Plan~Frugal Gift Buying

Now that you have determined what your Christmas budget is and who you are buying for, it is time to figure out how to save a little money on your gift buying and Christmas decor. I bet you are wondering what you can do this late in the game. If you are like me you may not have much or any money saved for Christmas. That's right, we have no Christmas club or much extra saved this year. (We are working on changing this for next year but for now we have to work with what we have) So how am I paying for Christmas? I have already purchased some items back in the summer so I am a bit ahead of the game. Here are some things I am doing now.

Shop online: Last year I did the majority of my shopping online. It saved a lot of hassle and time. No long lines, no pushy crowds, no getting up in the wee hours of the morning to stand in line for those Black Friday sales. I actually avoid shopping on Black Friday like the plague! Oh and you save gas another added bonus and get to shop in your jammies!

Do a google search for coupon codes for the online store you are shopping at before you place an order. Many times you can find codes for a percent off or free shipping and sometimes those two can be combined!

CVS Extra Care Bucks Program: I shop at CVS and earn extra care bucks (ECB's) that I roll each week. I get many free items by doing this and I plan on using some of my ECB's to get the boys stocking stuffers. If you have a CVS near you should consider getting an extra care card so you can earn ECB's each time you shop. For a great explanation of CVS and how the ECB's work you can read CVS 101. It's very easy to get started. You can use your extra care bucks for so many items in the store. Last year I needed two $5 exchange gifts for a luncheon we attend and I got them both for free using my ECB's. You could use your earned ECB's to get wrapping paper, cards, Christmas decor, stocking stuffers, Christmas candy, photo gifts like mugs, calendars, photobooks and much more.

My Points: Sign up for My Points You earn points by clicking on emails and doing short surveys. I usually get 2-3 emails a day and it takes me a total of 5 minutes to click on them. For each email you open you get 5 points, surveys are more. You can redeem your points for gift cards to many major stores. Amazon, Overstock, Starbucks, CVS, Walgreen's, Applebees, Barnes & Noble, Lowe's, Home Depot and many more. You can also shop through my points and earn points on your purchases.

In the last couple of months I have redeemed points to earn two $25 gift cards to Overstock. I will be using those to purchase a few gifts for the boys for Christmas. I will have enough before Christmas to redeem points for at least one more gift card possibly two.

If you are interested I can send you a link to join and I'll earn points if you sign up or you can go ahead and sign up on your own.

Deep Discount DVD: Over the summer I purchased some of the boys Christmas gifts from Deep Discount DVD Their prices are very good and they always have free standard shipping. They always have a sale before the holidays, I believe in November.

Michael's or AC Moore Crafts Stores: This is a great place to shop for Christmas gifts! Each week (or nearly each week) the Sunday paper has the store fliers and they always have a 40% off a regular priced item. There are some great items to be had. Thomas the Train, puzzles, crayons, markers, paints, candles, baskets, coin collecting books, rock tumblers, gift bags, Christmas decor and they have a great dollar section. You don't have to just buy craft items!
You can also sign up online to receive additional coupons.

Thrift stores, Consignment shops, Goodwill and Salvation Army: These are great places to find some fantastic bargins. I have been in a few over the past few months and they have tons of Christmas decor, picture frames, collectibles, antiques, containers for packaging baked goods~baskets, jars, tins. The possibilities are endless and the prices are a fraction of what you would pay for the same item in a discount or department store.

Dollar Store and Target's Dollar Spot: This is another great place to shop. You can find stocking stuffers, Christmas decor, cards (I've already bought mine there) craft items, containers for packaging baked goods, tins, cellophane wrap, etc.
Target has a dollar spot that changes all the time. We just purchased some very fun items to put into our Operation Christmas Child boxes.

Discount Stores: Do you have a Big Lots, Marshalls and TJ Maxx in your area? You can find some great bargins in these stores.

Aldi: Do you have an Aldi grocery store nearby? This is where I purchase all of my ingredients for my Christmas baking. I buy my sugar, flour, butter, walnuts, pecans, vanilla, cooking spray, chocolate chips and eggs. In my area I have found that they are usually the cheapest unless there is a great sale at one of the other stores. I really helps if you know what the lowest price you have paid for an item is.

I hope this gives you some ideas of ways you can buy Christmas gifts and not break your budget.

Does your family have to have the latest thing that just came out or can you find something that they will love just as well. The most important thing to do is have a plan and stick to it.