Many of you probably think this is very irresponsible, but relying on credit was our lifestyle for a very long time.  Last Christmas was the first time I was able to pay for all of our Christmas gifts without the credit cards. What’s more, I bought the same amount (or more) of gifts that I normally did when using my credit cards.   Many of our gifts were free thanks to tips that I learned along the way.  If you’re in the same boat—wanting to have a “big” Christmas without overspending, read on!!  Yes, there is always the option of “buy less” but honestly, I LOVE giving at Christmas.  I was just buying the wrong way.  Please feel free to share this information with your friends.  If these tips help even one person, it was worth my time in posting.  It IS possible to have a big Christmas on a small budget.
I started using these strategies in October 2010 and was able to pay for Christmas and my children’s birthday gifts with what I earned between October through December.   It’s definitely not too early to start thinking about Christmas, but if you wanted to wait a while you certainly can still earn quite a bit.  Note that the post contains affiliate links; opinions shared are mine.

Tip #1.   Start early.  When you employ some of these strategies before the real holiday fever sets in, you will have a sense of relief.  I always overspent due to the frenzy of last-minute shopping.  The last-minute shopping was induced by lack of money to get gifts.  Thus the credit card bills in January.  It was a vicious cycle.  When mama is happy, everyone is happy.  So take a breather, figure out what works for you, and go for it!

Tip #2.  Consider doing online surveys to earn cash, gift cards, and other prizes.  My post here gives you the details about my favorite sites.  You should never have to pay to complete these surveys!    ***I cash out at least once for a VISA card that I can use on special offers (from tip #2).***  The gift card selection varies, but I usually select Amazon gift cards and mall store cards.  Several of the sites offer cash-out checks.  You can also choose magazine subscriptions, kitchen appliances, and much more.

Tip #3.  Join a few search-and-win sites (read more details by clicking here).   Since you’re reading blogs, I’m going to take a leap of faith and guess that you’re searching online too.  Why not earn some gift cards while you’re at it?   It only takes a couple of minutes a day to get the bare-minimum points, and those really add up.  You might earn $5 per month = $60 per year from ONE site.  You can do much better than this by using 3 sites (the gist of the sites are basically the same).  If you want to earn faster, try doing a few of the free trials/special offers.  Use the free VISA card you earned from doing surveys so that you don’t have any out-of-pocket costs.

Tip #4.   Take advantage of gift card offers for transferring prescriptions, buying certain items at drugstores, etc.   Before you get that refill or new prescriptions, check to see if any local pharmacies have a coupon out.  For example, right now Kroger has a coupon in the weekly ad that offers a $25 Kroger gift card for a transferred prescription.  My son’s asthma medicine is going to be the same no matter which pharmacy fills it, so why not get a free gift card?  If you don’t shop at that store, consider saving the gift card for Christmas.  CVS has been running a great deal for a few weeks that helps you earn $10 gas cards for buying certain products.  If it’s something you’ll use (now or later) go ahead and buy it to earn that gift card.  Teachers love to get gift cards for Christmas, and you can afford to give them when you got them for free!

Tip #5.  Save up the freebies you receive in the mail and make a pretty gift package with them.  I’ve already purchased a cute personalized tote for my mom & mother-in-law.  I’m now working on stocking it with the lotions, perfumes, and makeup that I get for free (or almost free) in the mail or at stores.  Come on now, admit it—you love playing with makeup and girly stuff!  Wouldn’t that make a great gift?

Tip #6.  If you haven’t already signed up, you really need to use a cashback program.  Seriously, anyone who shops online needs to join at least one of these sites. It’s FREE money on something you’re already purchasing!   My favorites are  ShopAtHome, ebates, BigCrumbs, and Mr. Rebates.   ShopAtHome is always my first choice because they offer a 110% cashback guarantee. I’ve benefited from this several times!

Tip #7.  Take advantage of BOGO offers to stock up your gift closet.  Check out daily sites like Groupon, EverSave, and Saveology for discounted products.  If you’re already buying a gift for your child and notice a good deal, go ahead & get the second freebie and put it away.  Those gifts will fill out your list by giving you something for free rather than having to spend time, money, and gas to make a special trip.  The same goes for daily-deals sites.  If you like it, your friends probably will, too.

Tip #8.  Send in those rebates!  It only takes a few seconds to complete & mail out those rebate forms.  Do it as soon as you get home from the store so that you don’t forget about it.  $3.99 might not sound like much but it adds up when you put it together with your other rebates! Once you cash the check, keep the cash in a designated envelope and you’ll have a nice stash for Christmas shopping.

Tip #9.  Join Amazon Mom for a free 3-month Amazon Prime membership.  If you are a mom, dad, or caregiver of a child, you are eligible!  You can extend this month-by-month to build up a year’s membership when you purchase $25 in baby items (diapers, wipes, etc).  If you don’t have a little baby, I would suggest waiting to join Amazon Mom until October so that you can take advantage of the great deals around Christmas.   We buy a ton of stuff on Amazon including books, music downloads, movies, groceries, diapers, gifts…….they have a great selection and you cannot beat the free two-day shipping.  Amazon prices change at a moment’s notice and sometimes they offer incredible deals that you won’t want to miss.  Last year I used my Amazon gift cards to buy my kids’ toys; we had so many that I saved a lot of them for birthday gifts.

Tip #10.  Can you exchange homemade gifts or services with a friend?  My college roomie and I have always exchanged gifts even though we live across the country from each other.  A few years ago she suggested that we exchange our family’s favorite recipes from the year.  I loved that idea!  I really enjoy putting together a little digital cookbook for her every Christmas.  I add pictures of my  kids to each page so she can see how they’ve grown over the year.  We make it totally free by just emailing the cookbooks to each other, but you can also print them and put them in a pretty album to make it really nice.  Last year I printed extras and gave them to my mom and family members too. They loved them!!

Do you have any additional tips?  Stories to share?   While this is not a get-rich quick scheme (and I wouldn’t quit my job to do it) I think it’s a great way to stretch a small budget.

This post contains affiliate links.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.