Children aren’t concerned with your holiday spending limits.
They simply expect you — or Santa — to deliver Christmas enchantment and provide the many toys and items on their wishlists. That’s why numerous moms and dads wind up spending more than planned during this season.
According to the National Retail Federation, shoppers will allocate an average of $637.67 for holiday gifts this year, the bulk of which will go to family members.
4 Strategies to Save on Christmas Gifts
Households can trim their holiday expenses by shopping cleverly and saving intentionally. We asked members of our Savinly Facebook community group how they economize on Christmas gifts for their children. Below are some of the suggestions they offered.
1. Shop Online
Several parents mentioned they eased holiday pressure by shopping online, finding bargains from the comfort of their computers or phones.
“eBay is a lifesaver for pricey items like laptops and games,” Torrey Anderson shared. “I watch auctions that are ending soon with low bids and jump in during the final seconds. I’ve scored some great deals. eBay also has a ‘make offer’ option on certain listings. If an item is close to ending with no bids, the seller is often willing to consider offers.”
Maria Stella Martinez Vega said she purchased everything online so she could quickly compare prices and seek out better discounts.
“[Stores] can be overwhelming, especially this time of year,” she said. “Plus, many items come with free shipping, and you save on gas, too.”
2. Use the Four-Gift Rule
Another tactic to reduce holiday spending is to restrict the number of presents. The four-gift rule encourages parents to narrow their purchases. The idea is to buy something your kids want, something they need, something they’ll wear and something they’ll read — that’s it.
Gwen Delarm follows the four-gift approach — plus she adds one extra gift from Santa. She said sticking to that plan keeps shopping manageable.
Emmaline Gravel said she also adopted the four-gift approach this year. She set aside a little from each paycheck to buy gifts and hunted for bargains on eBay.
Maria Blum exercises even more restraint, opting for “one small present for each child.”
3. Leverage Apps and Websites to Save
Money-saving apps and websites helped several parents boost their holiday shopping budgets.
Crystal Kolb says she uses microinvesting apps like Stash and Acorns to automate savings throughout the year, then taps those funds for Christmas purchases.
Nicole Lovelace mentioned using the savings app Digit this year to slowly accumulate money for the holidays.
Brenda Foster Perego reported that last holiday season she earned over $800 in roughly six weeks using the cash-back app Dosh. She also uses the cash-back site Ebates to save year-round.
Jessica DiCarlo Maloy said various apps have helped her save more than $3,000 since February. Swagbucks, a survey and rewards platform, is her top earner.
“I print coupons, watch videos, take surveys and buy gift cards,” she said. “So far, I’ve made over $1,400.”
Maloy also uses Ebates to earn rewards while shopping online. She stacks savings by purchasing gift cards via Swagbucks and then using those gift cards to shop through Ebates.
She additionally scans grocery receipts for rebates with Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Checkout 51, CoinOut, Receipt Hog and SavingStar. And those aren’t all the apps she’s used to bring in extra money.
4. Hunt for Deals Year-Round
Starting early with holiday shopping certainly has perks. Some parents shop throughout the year and set purchases aside to hand out when Christmas arrives.
One method parents use is finding items at retailers that consistently offer low prices. Olivia Fox said she saves by locating gifts at yard sales and thrift stores. Ashley Montgomery said she shops at Dollar Tree or Five Below to secure inexpensive presents.
Other parents comb clearance racks during the year to pick up Christmas gifts at steep discounts. Black Friday isn’t the only time to score bargains.
“We buy Halloween costumes when they’re 90% off at Target a few days after Halloween and give them as Christmas gifts,” Christopher Chiakulas said. “Kids get a fun costume to play in [like Iron Man or Spider-Man] for around $3.”
The department store Kohl’s frequently awards shoppers store credit — Kohl’s Cash — to use later if they meet a spending threshold. Cheryl McKenzie Brumbaugh said she purchases Christmas gifts using Kohl’s Cash and watching for sales throughout the year.
Tricia Lichty said she shopped for winter apparel for her children at the end of last season.
“Hat-and-glove sets are now $5 to $8,” she said. “Last year, I paid $1.”
Lichty added she checks store clearance areas for bargains. She found a Descendants doll on clearance for $8 that normally retailed for $34.99.
Roberta Wade’s kids are grown now, but she recalled that when they were little she’d hit post-Christmas sales to buy gifts for the next year.
“By Thanksgiving, everything was bought, wrapped and hidden in my closet,” she said.
Wade said this approach allowed her to enjoy December without gift-shopping stress. She could instead focus on decorating, attending parties, baking and spending time with loved ones.
Nicole Dow is a senior writer at Savinly.
