There’s no need to break the bank by overspending on gifts for this holiday season. Here are 10 ways to save on gifts for your friends and family.
- Make a list and check it twice
Make a list of everyone that you plan on buying a gift for—no matter how small—and include the maximum amount that you are willing to spend, along with some gift ideas. This will help you manage your holiday budget.
- Hit the sales
Many stores have sales leading up to the holiday season. Check out the sale flyers beforehand to make the most out of your shopping trip and maximize your savings.
- In store pick-up
If you are ordering gifts online, see if you can have them sent to your local store rather than your home so that you can save money on shipping fees.
- Do your homework
Before purchasing an item that you are unfamiliar with, research the item online and check out reputable reviews. Check sites with user reviews and ratings such as Amazon.ca in order to find out which products have the best reviews. To find the best online price use a comparison-shopping site, such as Pricegrabber.ca.
- Do it yourself
If you are at all creative there are many great gift ideas that will allow you to give that personal touch to some or all of your gifts. Bake some cookies, knit a hat or make custom jewelry for friends and family. If there are friends or family that you would like to spend more time with you can also gift an invite to a home-cooked meal or winter picnic.
- Get daily deals delivered to your inbox
Sign up for emails from sites such as Bargainmoose.ca and Retailmenot.ca that offer discounts on popular brands each day.
- Use discounted gift cards or exchange unwanted gift cards
You can purchase discounted gift cards for hundreds of online/offline retailers including Best Buy, H & M, Indigo, Tim Horton’s, and others. Check out Cardswap.ca and Giftcardgranny.ca.
- Secret Santa
If you come from a large family or have a large group of friends, you may want to try a secret Santa strategy. This way you don’t have to buy gifts for everyone in the group since each person draws a name and just purchases a gift for that person. Be sure to set a spending limit that considers everyone’s budget.
- Don’t buy anything for yourself
When you’re shopping for gifts, it’s very easy to be tempted to buy for yourself. Make yourself a promise that you will only buy gifts for those on your list.
- Start early
It may be too late to adopt this strategy for this holiday season, but next year keep your eyes open all year round for items that the friends and family on your list would like. It spreads out your spending so it is not all in December and gives you plenty of time to find that perfect gift. Just make sure to keep all your advance gifts in a designated spot so that you don’t forget a purchase you made months in advance.
