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The SITS Girls

The Secret to Success is Support

How to Save During the Holiday Season with The Millennial Housewife

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Staying on a budget is hard, especially during the holidays. Lucky for us, our featured blogger today is Sara from The Millennial Housewife. She is giving us the inside track on how to save money during the holidays this year. With just a few of Sara’s tips, you can begin your holiday season right!

 

Up until recently, my family would find ourselves starting off the holiday season with no budget and no idea what we were going to do. Trying to finance Christmas was taking all of the joy out of celebrating. After I quit my job to stay at home with the kids, money got even tighter.

You may be thinking that it isn’t feasible to have a frugal holiday season. However, it is possible – and I have listed a few tips to help get you started…

Tip # 1: Start Buying Groceries Early

This tip is especially important if you are typically the holiday host. I start out before Christmas by using coupons and becoming more organized when it came to grocery shopping. By following a few simple tips, I start saving on groceries immediately.

I highly recommend that you make rough draft of your holiday menu and start watching your store ads for sales. Buying a turkey at Thanksgiving time is going to be more expensive than buying a turkey now. You’ll also find that by stockpiling items, such as paper plates, napkins, and other paper goods, you can ensure you always have plenty on hand while hosting.

Tip # 2: Shop Black Friday/Cyber Monday

If you have already made your gift list and been watching prices, you will be able to determine whether the Black Friday or Cyber Monday prices are truly a great deal. Most of the time, stores have killer deals on the hot items of the season.

Tip # 3: Get Crafty

Another way to save on your holiday spending is to make homemade gifts. This idea really works for those of you who are crafty. It’s also a great way to get your kids into the holiday spirit. They will have so much fun giving their gifts to the intended recipient if they made them on their own!

I, for one, am not that crafty and my homemade projects never seem to turn out well. I have a friend who is good at making wreaths, so I intend on buying a couple from her as gifts this year.

My best piece of advice to everyone is to relax and enjoy the holiday. Focus on family fun and making memories with your relatives. We had a painful reminder last Christmas of how short our time is here on this Earth. You may not remember in 10 years what you received for Christmas, but I am sure you will remember spending that time with your family.

For more money saving tips this holiday season, as well as other bloggy goodness, be sure to check out Sara at The Millennial Housewife!

 

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About Tiffany

Lover of college football, sushi and historical fiction. Mom to a teen and a toddler. I am a real life summer camp director and President of Influencer Management at Sway Group.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Lila says

    Good tips – I like the idea of not only planning, but buying dry goods early, a little each week will make the actual event so much less stressful!

  9. Viviene Grace Vargas-Bigornia says

    hey HAPPPY SITS DAY!

    i’m sure gonna learn a lot from your site.

    I am truly cutting down my Christmas shopping list so I’m making personal gifts instead. =)

  10. OMG! Yummy says

    A late visit, but a visit nonetheless. Been on the road all day, using free wifi anywhere I could find it to try to stay in touch and I even did a quick post about a new Whole Foods that just opened in our area. Big news for us!

    Looking forward to checking out today’s FB.

  14. Megan (Best of Fates) says

    Today has been slightly awkward for me, but I’m glad there are societies like this, that are full of support and happiness and good financial advice.

    Well, maybe not so much the good financial advice for me.

    But, you know, being responsible or mature isn’t really my thing.

  25. Sunday says

    Saving money for the holidays is something I REALLY need to learn how to do better.
    Thanks for featuring a blogger who can help get me on track!

  27. Melody says

    OMG I sooooo need to save money on Christmas. Can’t wait to rea her blog!
    Have a terrific Veterans Day everyone!!!
    Mel~

  31. Staci says

    Oh, I never pay actual money for gifts anymore. I use my points I earn at places like Swagbucks, RewardPort, My Coke Rewards, Pampers and Huggies and other places to get gift cards. I use the gift cards to purchase gifts. Or I get free items from Shutterfly, or Snapfish, etc. No more spending my own money, just points I’ve earned all year long. Works great! Our savings is going towards a kick butt vacation next year.

  32. Victoria D. says

    Hey Mama Bears,

    Hope all is well. Hope you all have the day off tomorrow like me. I’ll be using the day to redecorate my apartment. Ikea here I come!

    -Victoria

  36. Mandy Dawson says

    Great post! I’m planning on giving Tip #3 a try this year. Fingers crossed that I can channel Martha and accomplish my to-do list!

  43. Camille says

    Great Post! Only thing is, I wouldn’t be caught dead at the store on Black Friday! I am planning to do culinary gift baskets for my family this Christmas. Super excited about getting started on it! (and blogging about it once I do start, of course)
    Vedette’s last post: It Could Always be Worse

  44. Adrian G says

    Good timing. I have a post coming out tomorrow about a credit-free Christmas. I do think we tend to get carried away during the holidays and don’t do enough planning, mainly because Christmas is so financially painful and exhausting, we don’t want to even think about it, let alone start planning for it earlier in the year! Maybe that tells us how much we have distorted the holiday into something it was never intended to be.

  45. Kelsey says

    Ah! So proud of my fellow Mufasa tribe member!!!!

    Can’t wait to trade guest posts with her next month!
    Kelsey

  47. Karen says

    I agree, life is short and we can all help each remember to take in as much as we can or at least have a perspective that helps us remember to not squeak, cringe, & cry at the small stuff. :>