“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”…or so the song goes, right? It might feel mind boggling knowing the holidays, are fast approaching at warp speed. No matter what store you go into the holidays are in full swing with whimsical store decorations, the subtle smell of peppery cinnamon, and even the carefully placed array of holiday colored items to buy. Are you ready for the upcoming holidays? If not that’s okay.

I have listed the Holidays by days left before they are here:

• Halloween is only 50 days away
• Thanksgiving is only 76 days away
• Technically not holidays but great deals before Christmas:
  • Black Friday is only 77 days away
  • Cyber Monday is only 80 days away
• Christmas Eve – 104 days & Day 105 days
• New Year’s Eve -112 & Day 113

In this blog post I’m going to give you awesome tips and tricks to help you save money while still enjoying the holidays and giving gifts in style.

Care package Ideas for deployed loved ones or Pin Pals

The holidays can be a lonesome time for soldiers and spouses alike. Why not give some cheer and send a few cute holiday care packages to get you and your soldier into the holiday season?

Check out Lesbian Army’s Pinterest Board – Winter Holiday Care Package  Ideas

Also, consider signing up for organization like Soldier’s Angels or HomeFront Hugs USA  and who provide support and help the morale of our soldiers which can be low during the holidays.

Halloween Ideas

1. Halloween Costumes- Check out this blog post about costume ideas for cheap!

2. Halloween Decorations – Do you want to decorate your house but don’t want to spend a lot? See this post for awesomely cheap decoration ideas!

 

Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving is about the family and the celebration of gratitude and thankfulness, plus the wonderful aromas drifting throughout the house from cooking. However, Thanksgiving can be stressful especially if you have lots of friends and family over on this day. You may want everything to be perfect but there are so many things to do.

Here are two great resources 28 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dishes and Stress-Free Thanksgiving Checklist to help you save money and get organized for Thanksgiving!

Check out this Free E-book and Meal Planner!

Trick

My suggestion for maximize big savings during Christmas is to buy gifts on Black Friday or Cyber Monday to get the best deals. See the next section about holiday budgeting and start planning now.

Here are the Black Friday 2015 Ads to give you a heads up!

Christmas Gift Giving on a Budget

Select who you are buying gifts for

The key to saving money this holiday season is know who you are buying for up front and adjust your budget if need be. By deciding on who you are buying gifts for up front will help you from overspending, overthinking, and overdoing it. Make a list of your gift recipients.

Set a Budget

Select an overall dollar amount for the whole holiday season.  Next, use your holiday budget to set dollar limit amounts for each gift recipient. Remember, to set a realistic budget based on what you can afford and stick to it. By sticking to a concert budget for the holidays you are eliminating needless worrying about your finances.

Tip:

You might want to also budget a dollar amount for non-gifts items related to the holidays like entertainment, a new outfit, or travel expenses; aside from you holiday gift budget to keep your finances on track.

Save Now

Your just in luck! If you found this post,  you have just enough time! Roughly 3 months to start saving for the holidays, if you haven’t started yet.

Trick:

If you have a big family try to chip in with other family members for one big gift instead of small gifts.

Plan out your Shop Day

Start early, make sure you use cash, take your list, stick to your budget (use coupons and stack discounts), and start shopping!

If you need a little help remembering these tips and keeping track of your expenses throughout the holiday season then check out this free excel spread.

Always on the go and don’t have excel but still need to keep track of your budget this holiday season? Don’t sweat it download one of these apps!

Free for Android

Free for Apple 

8 Christmas Gifts Under $25

1. Make a book mark and buy a book for your favorite book worm.
2. Upcycle a Frame into a Cute Tray.
3. Buy a cute coffee cup, a small bag of Coffee and make a Coffee Cozy for a more personalized gift for your coffee favorite coffee lover.
4. Make a one of a kind no sew Sweater Scarf from the heart.
5. Felted Sweater Vases and Candle holders
6. Coffee Bag Gift Tote
7. Create custom Furniture or Pet Bed using a pallet.
8. Cookbook or Tablet Stand for your favorite foodie.

Get creative this Holiday season, have fun and save your hard earned money!

If you want a few more creative gift ideas check out this blog post!

One last savings tip for all holidays is, the day after a holiday go to any store you like and purchase decorations or accessories for next year. You could save anywhere from 50-75% off.

Happy Holidays!

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What are your tricks and tips for holiday savings? Leave me a comment!