How to Save Money on Christmas Gifts: Smart Shopping Tips

The holidays are the season of giving, and of shopping for gifts to give your loved ones. Whether you love the gift shopping adventure or consider it a labor of love, the biggest challenge is always coming in within your shopping budget. When you see the perfect item or know what your loved one wants most, it’s tough not to spend a little too freely. Fortunately, you can complete your gift shopping with presents that will bring delight to those you love, and save money, with just a few smart shopping tips to live by.

Try a few of these clever strategies for buying great gifts without inside your gifting budget this year.

Set a Per-Person Gifting Budget

First and foremost, set a budget. This is something anyone can do. Determine how much you can/will spend on gifts this year and divide that by the number of loved ones to shop for. This lets you know how much you can and should spend on each individual gift – or set of gifts – for each person. It’s OK to weigh your budget a little toward your nuclear family, close friends, and the family’s children, but set that budget and use it as your guidepost on cost-shopping.

Go Personal Instead of Expensive

One very useful strategy is to think personally instead of expensive. We know, these two things are often confused with each other when gift shopping. But it’s not the amount you spend – it’s the joy your gift creates. If your little cousin would love a stack of coloring books and a new set of markers more than a robot toy, go ahead and spend less on more joy.

For each family member, think about something that would make them happy in your designated price range instead of the most expensive thing they haven’t yet bought for themselves. Your aunt might love a little auto-garden more than a new iPod, or your brother might appreciate a hilarious custom Etsy-crafted hat instead of a kitchen appliance.

Take Advantage of Online Sales

There are A LOT of online sales going on around the holidays. Every major marketplace and most brand-specific websites are all looking to optimize those holiday purchases with great deals. Take the deals.

Find a website with products that would be perfect for more than one relative (to get the free/discounted/optimized shipping cost) and make use of their first-time buyer discounts. Find the brands you want to shop with that are having holiday sales. And if you see a great buy on Amazon, check the brand’s website to see if there’s a deal to be had from buying directly. You can save tens to hundreds of dollars holiday shopping with this strategy alone – without skimping on the gifts.

DIY Personal Gifts with Inexpensive Supplies

If you’re crafty, consider personalized DIY gifts from materials that don’t cost much to start with. Take a set of clear glasses and paint pens to create a beautifully personal set of glassware, a set for each household of relatives. If you’re good with yarn, make something special in the favorite color and style of each person. The key to DIY gifts is to make each unwrapping a surprise – no two gifts the same and everyone personally delightful – without blowing your budget at the crafts store.

Share Referral Bonuses with Christmas-Shopping Friends

Many brands will give you bonuses or store credit for referring a friend who completes a purchase – for you and the friend. So when you find a great holiday sale, email a friend who is also holiday shopping. Send them the referral and both of you can take advantage of the sale and the referral bonus at the same time.

This is the one time of year when referral schemes aren’t a hassle, they’re a favorite. You can both let a friend know about some great sale opportunities you found and share some free cash in the process. They’ve got loved ones to shop for, too, so everybody wins.

Smart shopping can allow you to find wonderful, personalized gifts for everyone you love while keeping your holiday budget intact. Contact us today for all your business and home insurance needs!