{"id":13695,"date":"2020-10-23T15:19:56","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T19:19:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.eztaxreturn.com\/?p=13695"},"modified":"2023-06-05T13:59:39","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T18:59:39","slug":"7-tricks-to-avoid-blowing-your-holiday-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.eztaxreturn.com\/blog\/7-tricks-to-avoid-blowing-your-holiday-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tricks to Avoid Blowing Your Holiday Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if you’re careful about your budget all year, there’s something about the holidays that makes you ‘spend, spend, spend.’ Between holiday parties and gift giving, it\u2019s easy to find yourself broke come the New Year.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are ways to keep your spending in check and avoid blowing your holiday budget.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Set a holiday budget and stick to it<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before you think about buying anything for anyone, make sure you get your monthly bills out of the way.\u00a0 Buying your family nice gifts is cool but you have other priorities that come first.\u00a0 Once you see how much money you have leftover, decide who\u2019s on your \u201cnice list\u201d and assign each person a dollar amount.\u00a0 Don’t forget to set aside a few bucks for cards, tape and wrapping paper too.\u00a0 Choose gifts that are within your price range (no excuses) and keep an eye out for sales.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shop at the right time<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When it comes to scoring the best deals, timing is everything.\u00a0 An easy way to save big is to sign up for deal alerts with apps like Slickdeals<\/a> and BuyVia.\u00a0 Just enter the product name or keyword and they\u2019ll notify you whenever a new deal becomes available.\u00a0 If you prefer to do the legwork yourself, search online for sneak peek ads for your favorite retailers. This will allow you to browse circulars for upcoming sales so you can plan your shopping trip accordingly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Avoid shipping fees<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sometimes when you think you\u2019ve found a good deal, the shipping fees wipe out any savings.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are ways to work around it.\u00a0 Most stores offer free shipping once you spend the required minimum.\u00a0 Others will waive the fee if you choose in-store pickup.\u00a0 Although you\u2019ll still need to head to the store for your items, at least you won\u2019t have to search the shelves yourself.\u00a0 If neither option works for you, you can always wait until Free Shipping Day to place your order.\u00a0 On December 14th<\/sup>, most stores will be offering free shipping with no minimum purchase.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be cutting it close but the participating retailers guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Earn cashback rewards
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re not using cash back sites when you shop, you\u2019re letting money slip through your fingers.\u00a0 Sites like Rakuten<\/a>, BeFrugal<\/a> and TopCashback<\/a> make it easy to earn while you shop.\u00a0 Simply, start your shopping trip through them and they\u2019ll pay you a percentage of whatever you spend.\u00a0 Your earnings will vary depending on the store, the items being purchased and the site you choose.\u00a0 So you obviously want to pick the one with the highest cashback percentage.\u00a0 To pile on the savings, they also offer coupon codes which you can enter at checkout.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shop with credit card rewards points<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Have a credit card that earns rewards points?\u00a0 Make your holiday budget go further by shopping with your points instead of cash.\u00a0 We all know Amazon sells practically everything under the sun and now you can use your rewards points to pay for it all.\u00a0 Just link your credit card to your Amazon account and they\u2019ll show you how much money your points are worth.\u00a0 At checkout, you’ll be able to apply the points towards your order.\u00a0 Eligible rewards programs include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Cards<\/li>\n
  • Hilton Honors<\/li>\n
  • American Express Membership Rewards<\/li>\n
  • Amazon Prime Store Cards<\/li>\n
  • Chase Ultimate Rewards<\/li>\n
  • Citi ThankYou Rewards<\/li>\n
  • Cashback Bonus from Discover<\/li>\n
  • Miles by Discover<\/li>\n
  • Amazon Business American Express Card<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    <\/h2>\n

    Look for coupon codes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    These days, it\u2019s easier than ever to find discounts for almost anything.\u00a0 Before you enter your payment information online, open another tab in your browser and search for coupon codes.\u00a0 RetailMeNot is a great place to start.\u00a0 Simply type the retailer\u2019s name into their search bar and they\u2019ll provide a list of available offers.\u00a0 Can\u2019t find a code that works?\u00a0 If you have time to spare, leave the items in your cart for a few days.\u00a0 Some stores send special coupon codes when they think you\u2019ve abandoned your cart.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Apply for Christmas assistance programs<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    There\u2019s a big difference between wanting to save a few bucks and not having any money to spare at all.\u00a0 If you’re struggling just to get by, consider registering your family for a Christmas assistance program.\u00a0 The Salvation Army, United Way Christmas Bureau and Toys for Tots are just a few organizations that provide toys and gifts to low-income families during the holidays.\u00a0 Some charities even take it a step further by providing food and financial assistance to help ease the load.\u00a0 Research what’s available and apply early to increase your chance of being selected.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    File your taxes fast and ez.\u00a0 Biggest possible refund, guaranteed.<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Even if you’re careful about your budget all year, there’s something about the holidays that makes you ‘spend, spend, spend.’ Between holiday parties and gift giving, it\u2019s easy to find yourself broke come the New Year.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are ways to keep your spending in check and avoid blowing your holiday budget.   Set a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-save-money"],"yoast_head":"\n7 Tricks to Avoid Blowing Your Holiday Budget<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Between holiday parties and gift giving, it\u2019s easy to overspend.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are ways to avoid blowing your 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