This is the time of year for celebrating a number of holidays, dressing up in cool costumes, throwing parties, and presents. How does one save money when we’ve got so much going on this time of the year?
Add the numerous birthdays we have during the next few months to all the holidays we have to celebrate, and it can really break the bank if I let it. There are a few ways I save money when I’ve got so much to buy for.
For starters I try to spread my birthday and Christmas shopping out throughout the year. It’s never too early to buy, and sometimes buying throughout the year can help save money. If you have a list of presents you know people are wanting you can order when those things are on sale. If my sister has been talking a lot about a certain face cream she loves I'll plan to get her a gift set or container of it, but I'll buy it when it goes on sale instead of waiting for the Christmas holiday to arrive. Shopping during sales throughout the year can save a lot of money, especially since some stores tend to jack up the price of items during holiday seasons.
When it comes to all those parties it’s easy to save money by stocking up on basic party supplies when they are also on sale throughout the year. Hitting up after Christmas and Easter sales can really help when buying tableware and such because even the solid color non-holiday print stuff can be found on sale.
Buying items that can be used for any occasion in bulk can also save money. My daughter’s first birthday party is tomorrow, and I could have easily broken the bank by buying all her plates and napkins in the theme we’re using, but I saved money by choosing to go with basic white. Keep with the theme in your decorations, but who needs a plate with a cupcake on it when a basic white one will do just as well?
If you’re buying party supplies online always remember to order well in advance. Ordering two or three weeks ahead of time can save you money on shipping costs because you can afford to wait the extra amount of time for the standard cheap shipping instead of having to pay extra to make sure your order arrives in time.
Always, I repeat, always check sites like RetailMeNot or use a Google search to see if there’s a coupon or free shipping code for the website you plan to purchase from. It only takes a couple minutes to do the research, but the amount you can save from a coupon code can be huge, especially if you’re ordering a lot of items at once.
Last but not least, when shopping online make a list of everything you need, and try to find one store that sells most of those items. If you find two stores that sell the same items but for different prices, weight out the price difference with the shipping prices at both stores. Sometimes it’s worth it to pay a few cents more to buy all your items at one store because they may offer discounts such as free shipping. If you’ll save more with free shipping than the total of extra costs for those items it’s worth it to pay a bit more for the items you need.
