The season for gifting is upon us and when you’re working with a budget, shopping can be tough. Here are a few simple tips to help you make it out of the holiday season without going broke!

1. Shop throughout the year. This one is a no brainer, but I know that many of us just don’t have any place to store Christmas items all year long. If that’s the case, I suggest at least keeping a running Christmas list in your phone all year, so you can grab items throughout the year when they go on sale. Having a list never hurt, even when shopping last minute, it’s good to have an idea of what you want to buy so you’re not just buying everything in sight because you don’t really know what you’re looking for.
2. Shop online. I used to be opposed to shopping online because of the shipping costs and the hassle of returns if the item doesn’t look exactly as you expected. Nowadays, I’ve changed my tune because shopping online oftentimes saves you money because of free shipping and you buy exactly what you need any don’t get tempted by items sitting around the check-out counter like you do when shopping in store. Online shopping also can be a great place to land discounts because of shopping codes that you can easily find online through websites or through shopping apps like shopsavy and retailmenot.
3. Shop at discount stores first. I really don’t need to tell you the benefit of shopping in stores like TJMaxx, Ross, Nordstrom Rack, Off Saks and Marshalls. These shops have tremendous savings and have done a great job in recent years of stocking current season items at great prices. I once saw a dress that I paid $150 for at Nordstrom, in Ross days later for $30, I was heartbroken and learned my lesson to shop at these stores first, ALWAYS!
4. Shop in stores where you have club memberships, discounts or gift cards. I always try and shop in places where I have memberships or gift cards to cut down on the money out of pocket. If I haven’t used a gift card during the year and Christmas rolls around why not treat myself by saving money with the card.
5. Craft when you can. If you have a special talent, make your gifts when you can. One Christmas my sister took the time to knit me a scarf and it ended up being my favorite gift that year and the warmest. I also attended a birthday party not too long ago and one of the guests made a beautiful apron for the host, it was thoughtful as the host loves to cook and it was inexpensive.

Hope these tips help you as you holiday shop and save a few bucks for a nice dinner with friends in January. Happy Savings.