On a tight budget this Christmas?
Is it me or does it seem like the year went by fast and Christmas just crept up on us? I love the Christmas season. Christmas is an exciting time of year in my household. We have five boys who love to celebrate Christmas. However, I do feel like the year just flew by!
My family and I, we love to Celebrate the birth of Jesus by decorating the Christmas tree , putting up Christmas lights and baking cookies.
One thing that comes with the Christmas celebration is giving gifts to those we love. While this can be exciting , it can also be difficult when you are on a budget. I know how you feel!
We have five boys and we are in the process of adopting. We also live on one income, so we are always on a pretty tight budget.
Over the years I have learned, that Christmas shopping is not suppose to be stressful or draining. Giving gifts to those we love and appreciate should be exciting. It is the perfect time of year to show those we care about how much we love them. Shopping online for gifts has taken my Christmas stress level down to a minimum . I am a huge fan of Amazon. We are Amazon prime members so we get free two day shipping! This is fantastic because I am also a huge procrastinator. I may have horrible time management, but Amazon has never disappointed me, my items always arrive within two days. I have also recently discovered that I can shop on Amazon through Ebates and save money! You can read more about that in my post here. Shopping online is great, because I don’t have to burn all the gas out of my Mini Van, haul my boys around or deal with the Christmas traffic. And, you can find all the same great deals online!
ON A TIGHT BUDGET? HERE ARE THE BEST PLACES TO SHOP FOR GIFTS ONLINE AND SAVE MONEY
1. Amazon
Especially if you are an Amazon Prime Member. You can’t beat free 2 day shipping! I like to do my research before I shop. I will do a quick Google to see where the item I am looking for is cheaper. Almost always, it is cheaper for me to purchase it on Amazon along with the free shipping. I am just speaking for myself, but I have never been disappointed by Amazon. My items always arrive on time and they always provide tracking so you can see when your item has shipped and where it’s at. Amazon also offers a text service. They will send you a text when your item ships and when it arrives. This is important when you purchase high dollar items that you don’t just want sitting on your front porch all day. When you get the text saying your item arrived, you can plan to pick it up or have a friend or neighbor help you out. It’s a nice service.
2. Five Below
My kids and my husband are fans of Five Below. I just recently discovered that you can shop their store online. If you don’t have a Five Below and you’re in need of some budget friendly gifts this is a great place to start. Five Below offers a good variety of items. The best part, everything is $5 and under! You probably figured that out by the name, but incase you didn’t catch that, nothing is over $5. Perfect place to shop for extra little gifts, Secret Santa gifts, teacher gifts , stocking stuffers and even decorations!
3. Shop through Ebates
You can sign up for Ebates free and receive a $10 credit to your account. You can shop top name brand stores through Ebates and maximize your savings. In fact, I wrote a whole post about this, you are diffentily throwing away money if you don’t use them. I had over $11 in my account just within a day of shopping through Ebates.
4. Gift Card Granny
If all else fails, you can never go wrong with a gift card! If you decide to go the gift card route do not purchase a gift card in the store. Always use Gift Card Granny for purchasing gift cards. You can purchase low and high dollar gift cards at a discounted price. You can also earn rewards that add up to free gift cards! You will find lots of gift cards from top name brand stores! I have found a few gift cards on this site that were up to 40% off! If you are in the market for a gift card, always check this site first. Save money on gas, avoid the traffic rush and get a discount on your gift card! This is a win, win.
5. Groupon
Have you heard of Groupon? I once purchased a $200 therapeutic massage for $60. My husband said it was the best gift and he enjoyed it! He said he was refreshed and his back felt better! This made me happy, because I got such a great deal and he was actually able to use the gift I purchased. I love purchasing gifts that I know my friends and family will use. There are so many different discounts and items available through Groupon. I recommend always checking them out if you are looking for a special gift. You will find discounts on top name brand items, restaurants, dental care, hair salons and so much more! You can find local discounts by typing in your zip code. This is a great feature if your loved one lives in another area.
These are just a few of my favorite places to shop online. I have used them all and personally think they are all great sites to shop on; especially if you are on a tight budget! Don’t stress out too much this Christmas season. Do you have any places online that you like to shop that you can share with us? Let me know in the comments below. Merry Christmas, I wish you the best!
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