Our Goodwill Christmas – How to make and save money this holiday season

Christmas does NOT have to break the bank!

I grew up in a blended family of ten and one of my favorite holiday memories includes the year my dad took us to Goodwill to choose our Christmas gifts. We laughed at the hilarious choices our dad chose, and were overjoyed at some of the incredible treasures we uncovered. I honestly can’t remember most of the Christmas gifts I’ve received over the years, but I do remember the vintage Ralph Lauren cardigan I found at Goodwill that day.

Christmas can be special on any budget!

Christmas is NOT about how much you spend, it’s about spending time together.

Here are seven suggestions for you:

• RAKUTEN– If you do ANY online shopping, you should use Rakuten. You earn cash back for shopping at nearly every online store!
  You will earn an automatic $10 for the first $25 online purchase you make...and hello, who can shop at Amazon without spending $25!

• SHOPKICK – I earn free gift cards every month just by opening up this app when I walk into a store and scanning a few products. You can use your earned gift cards to purchase gifts.

• SWAGBUCKS –  I make about $25 each month by printing coupons, taking surveys, and use their search engine. This extra money is perfect for Holiday shopping!

• OFFERUP/LET GO/Facebook Marketplace
  • Buy Gently USED items
    •  I’ve purchased lots of gently used items for my boys over the years – scooters, toys, clothes and bikes.
    • You don’t have to pay FULL PRICE for Christmas gifts! A nice used scooter for $10 brings just as much JOY as a $50 new scooter.
    • Before you pay full price for an item,  see if you can find it second-hand for a fraction of the cost.
    • For example – Legos, a basketball hoop, a wagon or outdoor play table are great gifts to buy second hand!
  • Sell items you know longer need. I read an article that said we all have about $2,000 worth of stuff in our homes that we could sell! Two thousand dollars would provide a very nice Christmas, with plenty leftover!

My mother-in-law has been clearing out her attic and making around $100 a week on items she no longer wants or needs with the Let Go and Offer Up apps!

• BradsDeals.com – If you are in the market to buy a big ticket item that you don’t want to buy second hand (like a mattress), search Brad’s Deals to see where to find that item for the best price.

• MONEYSAVINGMOM.com – A website filled with ideas on how to save money.

• HIP2SAVE – Sign up to receive a daily email that will include all the best deals around town and online.

CLICK HERE for a post on a very simple and inexpensive Stocking Stuff Idea!

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