One of the biggest issues that people complain about during the Christmas and holiday season is just how much they are spending. After all, it tends to be that you think I will only spend this much for my Christmas shopping…only to find that everything costs a bit more than what you think, or you go overboard. This is why the Christmas and holiday season are the most popular time of the year for racking up debt that you pay on throughout the rest of the year. With this being said, how can you save money this Christmas and holiday season?

Here are ten ideas that you may want to consider, as they could end up saving you a ton of money!

  1. Only get inexpensive items to put into stockings as stuffers. Consider candy or fruit, magazines, etc., things that are low cost but are still something the person will like.
  2. Do you have a ton of free product samples? Why not put these into your stockings?!
  3. An artificial tree is a great way to save money this Christmas and holiday season. This is a one-time investment rather than buying a real tree each year.
  4. Instead of everyone buying for everyone in the family or the office, set up a gift exchange in which everyone will only have to buy one gift. This can greatly decrease the amount of money you spend this Christmas and holiday season.
  5. Consider making some homemade gifts for those on your list. You can buy the supplies in bulk, and you will find that it could help to save you some money. However, keep in mind that this will take some time.
  6. Baked goods are great to give to people for Christmas gifts. So, stock up on baking goods a few months before Christmas during sales, and you will find this to be a cheap way to hit everyone on your list.
  7. Don’t just buy gifts during November and December. Buy gifts throughout the year to lessen the blow to your wallet when Christmas rolls around. This will allow you to take advantage of major sales throughout the year.
  8. Black Friday is a huge shopping day with amazing deals, so take advantage of this to get the best deals for the gifts you are buying. Do your homework on which store offers what you need and make a morning of it.
  9. Cyber Monday is another huge shopping day and you will find that you can get some great deals from the comfort of your home.
  10. Don’t bother with wasted money on extended warranties when you are buying gifts. Yes, the warranty may be a few dollars, but if you have numerous gifts offering this warranty, you could stack up quite a bit of money this way.

The Christmas and holiday season is all about giving…but don’t give until you are broke! These money-saving tips could be all you need to have a nice, enjoyable Christmas and holiday season without breaking the bank.