I avoid malls like the plague during the month of December.
I’m one of those people who likes to have all of my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, so I can relax and enjoy the holiday season, rather than fight insane crowds at the shopping mall.
And like many other people this year, my family is on a tight budget this Christmas, meaning I need to make my Christmas dollars go farther. Fortunately, being frugal, I have a plan of attack when it comes to getting quality Christmas presents on the cheap.
Know Where to Find the Deals
I like to peruse message boards, where members post great deals on everything from toys to clothes to furniture. My favorite is Fishing For Deals, but a Google search will surely give you other results.
By keeping an eye on the message boards, other people do the work of finding the deals, and I can reap the benefits. When I find a great deal on the message board, I shop through the board’s link, so I can support them.
Shop Through Rebate Programs
If I find a deal on my own or just need to buy something that’s not on sale, I shop through programs like Ebates and MyPoints. These programs give cash back (in the form of actual cash or points to be applied to a gift card), making your money stretch farther. And right now if you sign up for Ebates through this link and make a qualifying purchase, $5 will be credited to your account! (and $5 to mine too!).
Ebates and MyPoints aren’t the only game in town anymore, as far as rebate programs go. ShopatHome.com is an up and coming rebate site. I’ve made a purchase through them already, and my cash back was credited directly to my account. The offer the same refer-a-friend bonus that Ebates does, where if you sign up through my link, we both get $5 if you make a qualifying purchase.
Don’t Forget to Use Coupon Codes
When shopping online, I always, always, ALWAYS do a search for an online coupon code before I check out. Often I can’t find one, but sometimes I can find a code that I can combine with the rebate program to save big bucks!
Doing a Google search usually works, as does checking the forums I mentioned earlier. Kyle of Rather-Be-Shopping, who writes for me every Wednesday, also has a great list of deals and coupons on his site.
Speaking of codes, I have the opportunity to share with you a great code for Small World Toys. Small World Toys is a company that focuses on quality educational toys for children. (My kind of toys!) If you use the code SALE134 from now until December 15, you can get 20% off your order!
And to Kick Off the Shopping Season”: A Giveaway!
Finally, Walmart is spreading the holiday cheer by offering a $50 gift card for me to give away to one lucky reader! You can use the gift card to buy gifts, food, or anything else you might need from Walmart this Christmas season!
To enter the giveaway, you must be subscribed to my blog. I’ve put a secret phrase at the bottom of the posts that go out by RSS or email. Just contact me with the secret phrase in the subject line, and you will be entered in the giveaway.
If you’re not subscribed to Being Frugal yet, it’s easy. If you use an RSS reader, click here. If you’d rather receive Being Frugal by email, click here (and make sure to click the email verification link that will be sent to your email address). Don’t worry, I don’t spam or sell your email address. If you’re confused, this link might be helpful.
I will take giveaway entries until Thursday, November 20 at noon PST. I will draw a winner using a random number generator and announce the winner on Friday, November 21. Only one entry per person.
Have a great holiday season, and remember to stay in your budget! You don’t want to be paying off credit cards come January!
Photo by singsing_sky.
November 11th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Just a heads up - Ebates refused to credit me for a purchase because I used a coupon code on the transaction. It was an Office Depot purchase and I used one of the common dollar off coupons, like $10 off a $75 purchase. (Stopped using Ebates after that, because I had to get them to investigate the transaction and it ended up being a whole lot of hassle. If they had just up front stated that it wasn’t okay to use a coupon code along with purchasing through them then I wouldn’t have used one!)
November 11th, 2008 at 7:45 am
Oh wow. Thanks for the head’s up. I’ve never had a problem with using coupons in conjunction with Ebates, but it’s good to know it might be an issue.
November 11th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Thanks for the warnings and heads up.
I’ll tell my cousins in the US about it !
November 11th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Thanks Lynnae for the very nice mention of Rather-Be-Shopping.com!! Absolutely no reason to pay full price on your gifts this year. Love the giveaway idea too! Since I contribute to your blog am I eligble to win?
November 11th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
I just subscribed via email
I check your site everyday, I love it!! Thanks for the chance to win!!
November 12th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Don’t forget about doing the one-month trial membership to Amazon–free shipping for one month and no need to find fillers.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Thankful, good tip! I think it will only work for those who haven’t done the trial before (or who haven’t done it recently). Amazon offers a free trial membership of Amazon Prime, which includes free shipping on many items, with no minimum purchase. I did the trial last year at Christmas, and it was great!
You do have to enter your credit card information to get the free trial, but there’s a setting that you can change to end your membership when the trial period ends, so your credit card doesn’t get charged automatically, if you forget to cancel. It’s a great deal!
November 12th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I just subscribed! Thanks for the chance to win!
November 12th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
What a great site you have. Full of great information!
November 12th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
I subscribed by email! monk5@charter.net
November 13th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Oops, forgot to tell you I’m a subscriber (via RSS feed, not email).
November 13th, 2008 at 7:44 am
I just signed up via email! Thanks!
November 13th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I too love Ebates, but like Kimberly, found out that hard way that retailers will often not post their promised rebates into your account if you use a coupon code you find anywhere but Ebates. I spent $200 on a computer monitor and was stoked to get 7% back, but really bummed when I found that because I had used a 10$ off coupon code I found online, I made myself ineligible for the rebate. Ebates DOES offer many of their own coupons, but I signed up for Ebates on the assumption I could use it in conjunction with coupon codes I found online to extend my savings, but unfortunately that is just not the case.
Ebates still does rock, though!