30+ Clever Ways to Save Money at Christmas Time

It’s the happiest time of the year! But… it’s also the most expensive time of the year. That’s where these tips to save money at Christmas come in very handy.

Whether you’ve been saving money for Christmas all year or not; the holiday season can be rough on the budget.

Here are 30 plus clever and easy ways to save money at Christmas time. Hopefully, you will find several ideas to help you enjoy the holiday season, without stressing over those January bills.

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Tips to Save Money at Christmas Time

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Here’s my disclaimer – some of these money-saving tips will be tried & true; which means they work and should be mentioned to remind us of them.

Other tips might be super specific or quirky, but they have all saved me tons of money during past holidays.

So grab a cup of hot cocoa, turn on a Hallmark Christmas movie, & start reading about all the ways you can save money this Christmas.

Save money by using friends & family as resources

Nope, I’m not suggesting you ask your family and friends for extra holiday cash!

I am saying you should check in with them to possibly save money at Christmas this year.

Need more clarification? Keep reading to see what I am talking about.

1. Ask friends and family for gently used large items

Does your daughter want a kitchen set for Christmas? Or maybe your child has their eye on those huge Hotwheels Tracks all over the TV?

Put up a post on Facebook asking if any of your friends or family is looking to sell large items such as these.

Most likely someone has a child who has outgrown these items and they would love to repurpose them before the holidays.

I currently have both of these just hanging out in my basement!

Bonus – that kitchen set will already be put together too!

2. Have a “Deals Alert” Buddy

Every year my mom and I keep an eye on prices and sales for certain items that we both have on our lists.

We are watching for them to hit rock-bottom prices so we can save the most money.

This year we are watching Instant Pots & AirFryers. Having someone else keeping an eye out for sales will help you snag them when they pop up.

3. Possibly stop doing “Adult Gifts”

I will admit, when my sister-in-law first suggested this I was kind of sad. But looking back, it made a ton of sense.

We have so many kids to buy for and our adult gifts were becoming pretty generic: candles, scarves, etc. It just made sense financially.

If this idea seems completely “Grinch-like”, you could always do a gift exchange where you only buy for one person.

Other ideas to save a little, but keep doing gifts could be setting a $5/$10 limit, or requiring it to be a homemade gift.

Save money on Christmas Gifts with Deals & Experiences

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Beyond the decorations, big meals, school extras, and fancy outfits, gifts are the biggest cost for my family at Christmas.

Here are several tips for saving money on all those gifts you have on your Christmas list.

4. Gift Experiences

While this can be a slippery slope (because some experiences can be more expensive than gifts) it is a frugal way to save, if done correctly.

Offer to have a cousin’s sleepover with popcorn and movies. Give your mother-in-law a family game night coupon. Look for experiences that can create great memories, but stay easy on the budget.

5. Use Ebates (now called Rakuten)

You’ve probably heard about Ebates for years now. They recently went through a change and are now called Rakuten.

This is an effortless way to earn cashback on purchases you were already going to be making. You simply click through the Rakuten website to the store you are planning on shopping at and they automatically give you a set percentage back. It is that easy.

Kohl’s is the store I typically earn the most back from during the Christmas season. Sometimes as much as 10% back around the holidays! Guess what I do with that money when my check from Rakuten arrives? I save it for next Christmas!

If you don’t have Rakuten, you can use our affiliate sign-up link here. 

6. Check out Facebook Sellers Groups for your Community

Again, this is another great method for saving on large items, especially toys. It’s also a great place to sell large items to make extra cash for Christmas.

7. Follow Deals Sites on FB, Twitter, Email Lists

Find a Deals Site or Facebook Group to follow to keep up to date on great deals at Christmas Time.

8. Search for the best “Christmas Experience” Deals

Instead of paying for the expensive Mall Santa, look for a free Santa experience in your town. Around our area, several banks host Santa, as well as a few grocery stores & churches.

Also, keep an eye out for discount days at Christmas Light Parks or Winter Carriage Ride venues. Several places will have “family days” which can mean lower entry fees. Or they will allow you to use your phone or camera for pictures instead of paying. Some may even offer free entry with a canned food donation.

9. Make your DIY Gifts

You don’t need to think of crochet potholders and fruit cakes when you hear DIY gifts. There are tons of easy DIY gift ideas that will make for memorable, homemade gifts.

Head on over to our Gifts Board on Pinterest and you will find several such ideas.

10. Look into Shutterfly Coupon Codes

If the idea of making your DIY gifts isn’t your jam, here’s another option: use free Shutterfly codes to make your gifts!

Shutterfly emails out pretty much every weekend with free codes for various products. Shipping and handling vary, but it’s still an inexpensive way to make personalized gifts and stocking stuffers.

I’ve made free calendars for my mom, notepads for teachers, coffee mugs for grandparents, key chains for my husband, address labels for stocking stuffers, and so much more.

If you aren’t already, sign up for Shutterfly emails or follow them on Facebook. Other places that email out free Shutterfly codes are Pampers Rewards, Kellogg’s Rewards, and also occasionally a flyer in your Kohl’s bills.

11. Use Store Coupon Codes; As many as you can!

Before you purchase anything online, absolutely anything, check for coupon codes! How do you do this? Do a Google search for “Kohl’s coupon codes” and they will pop up, I promise.

Bonus – did you know that some stores allow you to use more than one coupon code? For example, currently, at Kohl’s, you can use a percent-off coupon; a dollar-off coupon; and a free shipping coupon code.

Saving money on Christmas Cards

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Want to know a funny little tidbit about me? I have saved every Christmas card I have ever received since my husband and I were married. I read them every year when we are putting up our Christmas decorations.

So if you love Christmas cards as much as I do, not doing them is a hard pill to swallow. But they can be so expensive!

That’s where these frugal Christmas card ideas can help you save money at Christmas.

12. Purchase boxed Christmas Cards

These are the cards that our Moms sent out for many years! My mom still sends them out and the idealistic Christmas scenes on them remind me of Christmas past.

If you want to go a step further, attach a printed picture on the inside and you have a picture card at a great price! I’ve seen boxed sets at the Dollar Tree, in the Target Dollar Spot, and at many other dollar stores.

13. Make your own Christmas Picture Cards

Purchase some cardstock, maybe a few Christmas stickers or scrapbook paper and make your cards. You can find envelopes at great prices online too.

Even better… have your kids make the Christmas cards! It will be a fun activity for them and a neat surprise for those receiving them.

14. Skip the Christmas Cards…

The easiest way to save money on Christmas Cards is to simply not do them! Post a picture on your social media accounts wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” and you’ve spent zero dollars.

Saving money while using Amazon

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There are so many reasons people use Amazon: the 2-day shipping; the ability to not step foot in stores during the Holidays; the great deals; and the selection to name just a few.

Here are a few tricks for saving money on Amazon, not only during the holidays but year-round.

15. Try my Amazon Cart Stalk

This is my favorite way to keep track of the deals on the items I am watching for gifts. How does it work?

Simply add the item you are watching into your Amazon cart. 

Then click the “save for later” button.

This will move the item to the bottom in a “saved” section. Now, when you have a few minutes during the day you can check your Amazon app easily for the prices of all the items you have on the watch list.

When you click on your cart, it will even have a banner at the top alerting you to price changes of the items you have “saved for later”.

Sometimes the price has gone up; sometimes it has gone down! Know what you are willing to pay for an item and when it hits that price you’ll be able to easily find it and add it to your cart. Checkout. Done.

16. Pay attention to Daily Deals, Early Black Friday Deals, Black Friday Deals, & Cyber Monday

Yes, that is a lot to be aware of during the holidays. However, spending a few minutes every morning instead of perusing social media, could save you hundreds!

Amazon has sales all day – every day. So it doesn’t hurt to skim through them and check to see if any of them are deals on items from your list.

During Black Friday deals they also offer an “alert” for when deals you are watching are about to go live.

17. Buy Amazon Gift Cards during the year

If you don’t have a set Christmas Savings Plan, one easy thing you could do is purchase Amazon Gift Cards throughout the year to use at Christmas time. That way when those awesome deals pop up; you have your gift cards ready to go to purchase them.

18. The Amazon Credit Card – A Slippery Slope

If you don’t do credit cards, then skip over this one. If you do feel like you have control of your credit card usage & payments, consider the Amazon Credit Card. It lets you earn money back on purchases that you can then use on Amazon itself.

We store these “credits” until the Holidays and then use them for Christmas purchases. It can be hard in July to not use that credit for something but waiting until December is worth it when you can order gifts with your credits.

If you are going to be ordering from Amazon throughout the year anyway, it’s an easy way to save for Christmas.

19. Opt-out of Quick Shipping

Occasionally when you check out on Amazon, there will be an option to choose slower shipping with a financial perk. This could be $1 off a digital item; money towards Prime Pantry shipping; and recently it was $5 off a hard copy book!

So check the shipping options if you don’t need your order right away.

Save money for Christmas at the Dollar Tree

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If you have been reading Productive Pete articles for a while, you know I have a deep love of Dollar Tree. If you don’t have one close by, most of these tips will work for any discount-type store.

20. Look for Elf on the Shelf Products

Yes, you can find Elf on the Shelf products at Dollar Stores! Last year I found multi-colored pens, stickers, and stationery sets!  (I just found Elf on the Shelf in the front section at Target too!)

21. Save on Wrapping Paper

There are typically tons of wrapping paper rolls with licensed characters such as Spiderman, Mickey Mouse & Disney Princesses to name a few.

A word of advice, this paper is super thin so it doesn’t travel too well, especially if you have it wrapped around something odd-shaped.

However, if it is going from your closet to under the tree you should be just fine. If you are hoping to truly save money at Christmas – thin wrapping paper is a good sacrifice.

22. Save on Wrapping Paper

If you’ve tried the wrapping paper and weren’t impressed, then try the brown butcher paper rolls. These rolls have a ton of paper on them and can make for a beautiful, simplistic wrapped gift.

If you want to decorate them a bit, try attaching a sprig from one of the Christmas flowers they sell.

23. Save money & time and check out their Christmas Bags

Yes, they have cute Christmas bags! Skip buying wrapping paper & tape and use gift bags instead. You can find tissue paper for those bags in the store too.

24. Check out their ribbon selection

Ribbons are perfect for using on presents, making wreaths, and attaching to items in your home to make them easily (& frugally) more festive. These rolls do seem to have less than rolls purchased in other places, so check the lengths and plan accordingly when purchasing.

25. Decorate your tree at the Dollar… Tree

They have so many ornaments, tree toppers, snowflakes, tinsel, and bows perfect for your tree. Skip the craft store prices and decorate your tree for so much less.

Saving Money on Christmas food & sweets

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Christmas Cookies. Pies. Yummy soft bread. Not to mention the ham and turkey, and sides of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole. It all sounds so yummy, but it also costs money.

Here are a few ways to save money on all that yummy deliciousness during the Holidays this year.

26. Create a Christmas Menu and STICK TO IT

You guys, I’m horrible at this. I know I am to bring an appetizer to this gathering; cookies to the school party; and a salad to a Christmas Girl’s Night gathering.

But… I walk in the door with my “required” item and something else I just had to try to make. So if you are truly trying to save money this Christmas, don’t go overboard on the food. Bring what is your fair share and resist doing more.

27. Start Shopping early for supplies

If you know what you are bringing to your Christmas parties; make a list of the ingredients you need and keep it somewhere handy – your wallet, phone, etc.

For example, I am in charge of the almond bark pretzels at my in-laws every year. Pretzels and almond bark have a long enough shelf life I can purchase them early and know they won’t spoil.

When you are shopping in November go ahead and grab a few of the items each shopping trip. By the time December rolls around you will have spread out the added expense over several weeks.

It’s not technically saving you money, but it does spread out that huge Christmas grocery bill right before the parties and family get-togethers begin.

Another idea is that you can use your list to check for sales on the ingredients you need while shopping. This week I was able to grab those pretzels I make every Christmas for a third of their normal price. Yes, I’ll be storing them for a month, but I saved $10!

Saving money on this & that

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Just a few more tips and ideas to help you save money at Christmas… because every little bit helps!

28. Stay Organized this Christmas

I know staying organized isn’t an obvious way to save money at Christmas. But keeping lists (like Santa Claus himself) will help you avoid last-minute desperate purchases.

Forgetting a gift means you will be running to the store and purchasing the first thing you can find; not watching for deals the entire month before.

Realizing your son’s dress shirt for his Christmas Concert doesn’t fit the night before, which means you will be forced to pay the price they are asking.

So make a list of all your Christmas to-do’s and keep it updated to not only save money but keep your sanity too.

29. Ignore the desire to “Make up the Difference”

Simply put – if you find something on sale – that doesn’t mean you need to “make up the difference” of what you saved. Congratulate yourself on finding that gift at such a great price and don’t worry about spending X amount of dollars to make it “even”.

This is a slippery slope because then you purchase two gifts for someone. Then you realize the other person only has one gift to open and you think of buying them another to make it “even”.

See how our minds work and can cause us to spend even more money than what we had planned?!

30. Keep Track of Your Spending

This sounds easy enough, but keep track of ALL your Christmas spending. Everything from teacher gifts, decorations, clothes, cards, gift wrap, and extra food to name a few.

Seeing how much you spend will help you keep it in check. It will also help you budget for the next year.

31. Don’t buy for yourself

Yes, that hurt even writing it. But it’s an easy way to save this Christmas.

There are two schools of thought on this. First, don’t purchase items simply because they are on sale. Meaning, if you have a working crockpot, don’t splurge and buy the newest model because it’s “on sale this time of year”.

The second school of thought is that this is a great time to save money on items you truly need. So therein lies the crux of this situation – do you need it or simply want it? If you have been wanting an air fryer, you don’t own one, then this is a great time to purchase one at a deep discount.

But if saving money is truly the goal of your Christmas spending – you’ll have to make sure this purchase fits your budget and is truly something you need and not just want.

32. Stick to your Budget

Yes, I saved the least fun idea for last. Create a budget using your previous year’s spending amount and stick to it.

Keep the motivation by thinking about how good it will feel in January to not receive those massive Christmas bills. You could even have a reward in mind if you do keep to the budget such as a date night, a trip to the movies, etc.

So there we go! All the tried and true; as well as some fun new ideas to save money at Christmas this year! Make sure you check out some of our Christmas posts before you go.

We have a free printable Elf on the Shelf Planning Calendar, as well as an Elf Survival Plan.

Also, if you don’t mind, hit the share button and help us get these money-saving tips out to even more people.

Merry Christmas!