Ask the Readers: How Do You Save During the Holidays?

We celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas and have birthdays in the Fall. To accommodate all of the gifts, we have always purchased gifts throughout the year. We also use apps and websites to track prices for things or activities that would make nice gifts. It is important to take advantage of time to better manage money. Otherwise, the rush at the end of the year will cause you to overspend.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, we squirrel away a bit of the grocery budget the months before and purchase traditional fare when it goes on sale. Since we make food items for certain family members as Christmas gifts we do that with ingredients as well.

For purchased Christmas gifts, we budget a set amount each paycheck and start shopping early. (Like right after Christmas, hitting clearance sales.) We've started buying discounted uncanceled postage from stamp dealers, as our families are some distance away. (Look up "discounted postage" on line.)

I felt a bit awkward sending a package literally covered with stamps at first, until I realized the elderly couple ahead of me in the post office line had done the same. I make it easier for the PO people by calculating the amounts by denominations along each row of stamps. My favorite teller jokes with me about it.

For the at home family gifts I've made reusable wrappings, by sewing up drawstring cloth bags and decorating boxes. As we figure what shapes and sizes most items come in, I've added to our collection.

Hope these ideas help someone.

I try to look for quality items that are nice but also practical, and try to get everything on sale. For friends I try to get something inexpensive but personal that shows I know them and I care.

First thing we do is make a budget and STICK TO IT! We only spend about $30 per person for Christmas, so we have to get creative. It makes us thankful for what we do have, not focused on finding the most expensive thing, and really enjoy our time together as a family. And best of all, no big bills in January. Just peace and contentment knowing we only spent what we had already saved ahead of time.

Hate to admit it, but Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. Thanksgiving week sales cut my gift budget by a third.

We're scaling back this year since funds are tight amongst our various family members. We're doing a secret santa type exchange among the adults in my immediate family, and my husband and I are just getting each other a small gift since we both needed to get new winter coats pre-Christmas. I bought one toy for our 1 year old, since he doesn't need much and is too young to understand gift exchanges and holidays.

During the holidays there are so many deals!

I work a full time job and its hard to know all the good deals going on, so I look at deal blogs. Most of the time it's from savvy shoppers who can score great gifts for cheap. They tell me about rebates, promo codes and coupons that can be used to sweeten the deals.

Plan menus and food lists in advance. It's easy to buy "special" food in every store. Some of it is fine, but saying yes all the time adds up.

I stick to a list and a budget an avoid using credit cards!

Last year I was a single mother to a three year old. This year I've gotten married and gained two more children and two grandchildren. There's a lot more preparation that goes into shopping for the holidays than I had to do last year. I can be very impulsive with money, and if I had saved and/or spent the holiday money all at once I would have made some very bad and split second decisions. I've been working a retail job the past few months and taking $40 per paycheck to pay for holiday gifts. My husband is the bread winner. With that being the case, everyone I'm buying for knows not to expect much. I started off with a budget of $20 for everyone and as I've finished everyone, I've added another $20 to each person's budget,etc. Most of the gifts are small but since everyone knew the budget they were able to tell me exactly what it is they want within the budget.

I bought the gift wrap after I bought the gifts so that I'd know the exact sizes of things I need so that there is little waste or extra things I needed to buy. I make good use of Dollar Tree. They have gift wrap, clothing boxes, tape, ribbons, etc this time of year.

I also don't buy anything that's edible. So much money was wasted in years past buying things like chocolate. With a lot of people to buy for, I want them to have things they love and can keep long-term if they so choose.

I make homemade gifts instead of buying gifts. It's cheaper and more personal.

Handmade gifts (like food) not to mention holiday sales!

I ask what they want/what they like and don't spend any extra money on other gifts I think they would might like (because they usually don't because my tastes are questionable, lol). I also sell some of my stuff like books, DVDs, etc to stores like FYE or Amazon.com where I can get gift cards/money to spend. I've learned from being a price coordinator at a store for a few years that the best sales aren't on Black Friday, but after that closer to Christmas or when a store has a very large ad (like TRU's Big Book). Black Friday is often a lot of hype - our over-filled return bins a few days after it is living proof.

I save money by shopping for gifts on sale and using coupons

We do a lot less gifting. It's more important to find one special thing than it is to shower someone with stuff they don't need anyway.

Perhaps the best way to save money for the holidays is to plan for it all year. Setting aside some extra cash for the Holiday season will put less stress on your budget when December rolls around.

1 - I shop around for the best prices online - whether I will be buying online or in a store.
2 - I set a budget for spending and stick with it.
3 - I shop at craft fairs all year long and pick up things that I think people will love (same with garage sales, store sales, etc.).
4 - I use coupons and discount codes to get money off and free items - like the 20 free personalized holiday cards I got from Walgreens last week.
5 - I enter drawings (like this) for free gift cards and goods to use for shopping.
6 - I do my best not to travel by air or too far by car between mid-November and the start of January.

I stopped buying gifts for those who I don't regularly see or have a meaningful relationship with.

I buy holiday presents throughout the year when they're on sale. I also reuse all my holiday decorations. (I did buy some new garlands this year to replace the ratty old ones, but they too were on sale.)

I buy gifts through out the year, keeping a list of who to buy for, and who I've gotten things for, and I store everything in a dresser. I try to get deals at thrift stores and on sale items, too. I also try to make some of the gifts I give to others.

The wife and I decided to limit our spending on each other to $50. It isn't about the gifts but just about spending time together. Now the fun is searching out the best deals to make that $50 go a long way!

I buy gift baskets at church fundraisers. Those usually feature silent auctions, and the money goes to a good cause.

Plus I'm done by November 1.

It helps that the only folks I have to shop for are my parents.

I stick to a budget and try to remember what's important to me, which is time spent with friends and family.

I look for deals online and search for coupon codes

We save money during the holidays by setting the rule that we will not travel nor enter a big box store or mall during the month of December. We save on gas, avoid impulse purchases and then do most of our shopping online, which allows us to be more balanced and deliberate.

I bought a fake tree due to allergies. Now I keep that 50 bucks or more I would have spent on a fresh tree eachyear

I buy things ahead of time throughout the year, that I think people will like, or I have knowledge that they will need it. I buy wrapping paper on sale, but sometimes use funny papers from the Sunday papers instead. It is already premeasured and cut, colorful, and since we receive two papers it is free.

Biggest challenge #1 this year: Stuff is everywhere due to moving everything (to reduce damage and loss) until the roofers could get here after many months to replace our roof after Tropical Storm Lee. Most items are stacked in boxes, stacked several feet high. I think I am buying some duplicates because I have lost track of some purchases. Thankfully, nothing purchased has an expiration date.

Biggest challenge #2 this year: there is so much stuff out there, and I would like to buy it for little kid relatives, but realize they do have parents, grandparents, other aunts and uncles, and already have too much stuff.

Biggest challenge #3: car repairs are busting my budget big time.

While we shop for the children in our families, my husband and I participate in Secret Santa with the adult members of our family so we are each only buy one larger gift. We all agree on set price to spend. Also, when it comes to the kids, we always include a book (or several) along with a toy and buy those books from used book stores (with coupons!).

I'm using a combination of DIY gifts (mostly baking), groupons (I love gifting experiences), Cyber Monday Sales (love amazon), and post holiday shopping (my family celebrates on the old calendar, January 6th!)

I sign up to get on the email list of any store that I know I will be purchasing gifts at. Often I end up with at least one coupon or "deal" from them before I actually go to make my purchase. I also try to price match as often as possible.

We don't get carried away by the commercial aspect of the holidays. We usually set a limit on the number and cost of gifts, and also have cut down on mailing greeting cards because of the rise in postal costs. It's easy to get swept up in the giving and getting of gifts, but it you think about it, do you really need all that stuff? By keeping your costs under control, you alleviate your holiday stress at the same time. You can be relaxed and happier during the holidays.

I save money during the holidays by starting my shopping early so that I can find most of my gifts on sale. I also make a realistic Christmas gift list, it's just not in my budget to buy gifts for everyone!

We give a lot of homemade gifts, but we take it to an extreme. We have a large garden, and each year, I plan things that I will grow to give as gifts. Some examples: We have grown and dried luffa sponge gourds, grown and dried cayenne chile peppers, we make peach and berry jam to give as gifts, and grow heirloom popcorns that also end up in gift baskets. We usually pair these dried or jar items with homemade baked goods such as apple pie, gingerbread cupcakes with cream cheese icing, and handmade peppermint bark or New Orleans pralines. We assemble all of this into family gift baskets, which we deliver to our friends. If they have children, we usually throw in a small, new toy or item we know they will enjoy.

For charity gifts (think toy drives) I have a box I fill year-round with toys bought on deep discount-- and nice toys. I'm usually able to find $3 princess barbies or hot wheels track sets, etc. throughout the year. I buy one or two, or however many will fit into the budget. I've also bought brand new unopened toys at yard sales. Come December, our toy donation box overflows, and the output of money and time was minimal.

The real key for us though, is to just make sure we are honestly and carefully considering the receiver. A gift is useless if it doesn't fit their interests, their life, or their wants. So, we spend a lot of time matching the right gift with the right person. The thought really does matter!

I save by looking for online deals.

We get together with friends and do gift exchanges and shop sales throughout the year and make homemade baked goods for gifts. Our biggest budget challenge this year is that we are both currently unemployed and looking for work. Fortunately, we have used credit card points and gift cards to make purchases and are limiting our gifts.

Sales, coupons, and ebates. I do all of my Christmas shopping online which let's me do price comparisons more easily and avoid the hassle of not being able to find what I'm looking for.

So far I have saved by shopping black friday and by shopping online using online codes

I don't spend very much on my great nieces and nephews (yes, we still buy for them) - I try and keep it between $5-10. It's a challenge, but they get so much they really don't care.