With the holiday season approaching, it’s important to save as much money as you can. You’re already spending so much on travel to see family throughout the country, and planning parties that require buying drinks and food. That’s not even counting the gifts! So you have to be careful because the last thing you want is to have a limited budget when the new year comes around. Especially if you’ve got a large or growing family, your finances are important. But you can’t save so much money that your kids feel like they’ve gotten Christmas gifts that aren’t special. So it’s a challenge to buy the right gifts for them while still saving money.
Luckily, there are some great strategies you can use to save money on toys this holiday season. It’s all about finding the best deals in the right places–and here’s how.
1 Browse in store, buy online
One of the best ways to save on toys is by finding them first in person and then finding a better deal online. Visit your favorite store with your kid, and see what interests them the most. Jot down how much it costs, and then see how much it is on the website of the actual store. Chances are, it’ll be cheaper online because of online competition. It means waiting slightly longer because of shipping, but it’s worth it when you’re getting such great savings.
Considering that, in 2017, Americans had an average of $1, 054 in debt during the holiday season, using a strategy like this will make a huge difference when it comes to your financial situation.
2 Buy from an ecommerce store
Another option is to buy toys from a business that’s based online in the first place. Because they don’t have to pay for retail costs for their brick-and-mortar stores, the items they sell are automatically cheaper. This is a reason why ecommerce stores are becoming so popular now, especially in big cities where there isn’t room for big box stores. So check out classics like Amazon and Overstock, as well as new toy stores like Jizels to save big. You’re bound to find something your kid will love, and at a low price, too!
The average spending of Christmas gifts in 2017 was $862 for US consumers, but you can hugely drive that number down by shopping online instead.
3 Sign up for a deals website
When the holiday season comes around, one of the best ways to save on everything–not only toys–is with a deals website. This is the online version of what used to be cutting out coupons in the back of a magazine, except even better. If you’ve ever saved a ton on a visit to the spa or at a restaurant through Groupon, you know how great the deals can be. So why not apply that to the gifts you buy for Christmas, too? Sign up for different deals sites and wait for the best deals to hit your inbox.
Nine in ten Americans celebrate Christmas, which means that you’re likely to get a deal because there are going to be so many of them around.
4 Get points or miles in exchange for spending
Another great way to spend money without feeling too guilty about it is by getting something in exchange. If you get a credit card that gets you points or miles in exchange for spending money, then you’ll be making money anytime you spend. It happens automatically, the same way that SocialGoneViral gets new followers to anyone who signs up for their Instagram engagement service right away. So study up on the credit cards you think will serve your needs best, and start saving by getting something back when you buy your kids gifts!
28.8 percent of US adults start their Christmas shopping in November, so if you haven’t done it already, it’s time to get started.
5 Buy used gifts
If you’re a fan of wasting less, especially because there’s so much waste during the holiday season, another option is buying used gifts. In addition to being more green, you’re also going to save money! Often, used gifts are still in the original packaging, and not used at all, so there’s no difference between them and what you’d find at the store. Scroll through websites like eBay and bid on what you think your kid will love–they won’t know the difference, and you’ll get more bang for your buck!
33 percent of Americans plan to spend at least $1, 000 on gifts this year, but that doesn’t mean that you have to. By using these strategies, you’ll spend way less!
These are some of the best ways to save money on toys during the holiday season. What other ways do you think you could save?