I love holiday shopping. I’ve mentioned this a million times, gift-giving is one of my love languages. I spend ages hunting down the perfect gift for those that I love and care about. With all the time I spend looking for great gifts online and in store, it can be super easy to end up spending a lot more than I should. Here are five tips to keep holiday shopping easier and keep everyone on budget and focused on what the season is really about!
Shop Online
Save time (and gas money) by shopping online! I do about 89% of my holiday shopping online. Combining coupon codes, sales, and free shipping – I get more bang for my buck, and I avoid adding extra items to my cart (which I tend to do when I’m shopping in-store and waiting on and actual line). Shopping on the web means I get what I need, and I check out!
OneVanilla Visa
Visa’s One Vanilla prepaid debit cards are excellent for keeping the entire family on-budget. Giving everyone a set amount of funds to spend for Christmas shopping means no one can overspend, and it’s a great exercise in managing finances. With One Vanilla you can add anywhere from $20 to $500 onto a card, and they can be used anywhere Visa is accepted.
One Vanilla pre-paid Visa debit cards can be purchased at the following retailers: CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Family Dollar, Dollar General, 7Eleven, and Office Depot. Pssst, One Vanilla makes a perfect gift for hard-to-shop-for teens!
Ask for Wishlists
There’s a lot of debate about wishlists. Are they obnoxious? Are they necessary? Whatever happened to being happy with whatever you get? Honestly, I prefer getting wishlists from those in my immediate family. I want to know what you want, I may not get you what you want, but I at least want an idea of things that you’d like. I would personally never give a wishlist or specifically ask for anything from anyone outside of my immediate family, it’s how my mom raised me. I don’t even ask for anything from my grandparents. That being said, wishlists are incredibly useful whether you’re budgeting your time or your finances.
Get Cash Back!
Joining sites like ebates or Shop at Home are easy ways to make back a little cash. You’d be surprised how fast those small percentages add up! I’ve been using Shop at Home since 2012, and so far I have a lifetime cash back total of almost $450 – that’s in addition to over $30 in gift cards from their ShopGold program!
Stay Connected
Deal bloggers spend an inordinate amount of time and effort digging up the best deals for you – and you can access them all for free! I love checking in on Brad’s Deals every other day during the year and daily during the holiday shopping season. I’m also a fan of Coupon Pro Blog.
I hope these tips are useful for you, let me know if you have any handy holiday shopping tips or tricks in the comments below! Also, find out what OneVanilla Visa is right for you by clicking here!
Disclosure: I was provided a gift card for my review, all opinions are my own.