We’re in New York and we’re exhausted. I know its the city that never sleeps. Maybe we have jet lag or have just enjoyed the long sessions too much. But we need some sleep which means we need some help. We can’t get as many posts up as we would like so we wanted to know if you would help.
We know the holiday season is coming. To deny it is just to deny the inevitable. But we always love to talk about preparing ourselves ahead of time and planning now to help prevent you from having the money blues after. What we would love for you to share is your best holiday preparation tip! This could be related to budget, cooking, vacation or anything else surrounding the holidays. What would be the one tip that you would love to share with everyone here?
In addition, for helping us by adding to this awesome growing list designed to help give everyone some amazingly helpful advice to get ready for the upcoming holiday season, you are entering yourself into a fun giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card – which could help start or continue your Christmas shopping.
Feel free to read all the comments. We will try to compile them next week and share them so you have them all in one place. But until then, read and enjoy!
How to enter: Leave a comment with your best way to prepare for the holidays. That’s it!
This giveaway will end Saturday, October 15th at 12:00 pm MST.
Ashley
Use Swagbucks to redeem Amazon gift cards to help pay for Christmas. It doesn’t take long to accumulate points and with Amazon’s already low prices, you’re sure to score some great deals.
Ashley
Use Swagbucks to redeem Amazon gift cards to help pay for Christmas. It doesn’t take long to accumulate points and with Amazon’s already low prices, you’re sure to score some great deals.
lynn
Shop “piecemeal” here and there whenever you find a bargain, coupon, etc. It all adds up to huge savings.
lynn
Shop “piecemeal” here and there whenever you find a bargain, coupon, etc. It all adds up to huge savings.
Michelle Holm
Start early, prep as much as you can ahead of time and freeze so you can thaw and heat. Take time to stop and enjoy, you will feel refreshed after just a minute of reflection.
Michelle Holm
Start early, prep as much as you can ahead of time and freeze so you can thaw and heat. Take time to stop and enjoy, you will feel refreshed after just a minute of reflection.
Kathy Heatherly
Contribute a little money to a Christmas fund from your paycheck. My employer does this for me so around Thanksgiving I get a check that I can use to spend on everyone’s gifts and it sure beats having to come up with the money all at once.
Kathy Heatherly
Contribute a little money to a Christmas fund from your paycheck. My employer does this for me so around Thanksgiving I get a check that I can use to spend on everyone’s gifts and it sure beats having to come up with the money all at once.
Kathy Heatherly
Contribute a little money from your paycheck to a Christmas fund throughout the year. The HR company my employer uses does this for me, so around Thanksgiving I get a check to spend on everyone’s gifts. This sure beats having to take money out of the budget all at once.
Kathy Heatherly
Contribute a little money from your paycheck to a Christmas fund throughout the year. The HR company my employer uses does this for me, so around Thanksgiving I get a check to spend on everyone’s gifts. This sure beats having to take money out of the budget all at once.
heather hillhouse
We put away a small amount every single paycheck throughout the year so that when things go on sale or when its time to buy we have money set aside for that specific reason.
heather hillhouse
We put away a small amount every single paycheck throughout the year so that when things go on sale or when its time to buy we have money set aside for that specific reason.
Anna
Shop year round for Christmas gift. That way you can take advantage of sales.
Anna
Shop year round for Christmas gift. That way you can take advantage of sales.
Latonya R
For dinners, I always hold myself to the main course for holiday dinners and but to ease some of the cooking pressures, i usually task out some side dishes for others to bring.
Latonya R
For dinners, I always hold myself to the main course for holiday dinners and but to ease some of the cooking pressures, i usually task out some side dishes for others to bring.
Jess
I love to have a small notebook in my purse of what I need to buy so when I have a few extra minutes (or dollars) I can use them wisely 🙂
Jess
I love to have a small notebook in my purse of what I need to buy so when I have a few extra minutes (or dollars) I can use them wisely 🙂
Suzanne Duvall
Start the year before at the after Christmas sales.
Suzanne Duvall
Start the year before at the after Christmas sales.
Linda
Make a list of all the items that you are going to get and then be ready for the times when they go on sale or there is a coupon so you can purchase them for a fraction of the cost.
Linda
Make a list of all the items that you are going to get and then be ready for the times when they go on sale or there is a coupon so you can purchase them for a fraction of the cost.
Alicia
If your making a lot of food for a crowd, start pies and other deserts the night before. Make good use of your microwave for veggies, and use the oven and those oven bags for your meats, they cook quick and stay moist! OH and if you use aluminum tray for cooking, dont cut the turkey in it, you have a chance of cutting through it and having a giant turkey mess that will take days to fully clean up! Oh and dont stress about the holidays, enjoy the company you have and take deeps breaths when you feel the stress coming!
Alicia
If your making a lot of food for a crowd, start pies and other deserts the night before. Make good use of your microwave for veggies, and use the oven and those oven bags for your meats, they cook quick and stay moist! OH and if you use aluminum tray for cooking, dont cut the turkey in it, you have a chance of cutting through it and having a giant turkey mess that will take days to fully clean up! Oh and dont stress about the holidays, enjoy the company you have and take deeps breaths when you feel the stress coming!
Andrea Remele
We love to have lots of Christmas cookies around the holidays, but with three little kids it can be hard to find the time to bake all the kinds that I would like. So I like to have cookie swaps. Invite some friends and each person bakes and brings a dozen cookies with a copy of the recipe for each person, including themselves. It’s a fun evening to get together and everyone goes home with an assortment of cookies. I freeze mine and can pull them out throughout the season as we have company over. I usually have plenty and am able to send a platter with my husband to work too. The rest of my baking doesn’t feel as rushed and I can really involve my kids in the fun.
Andrea Remele
We love to have lots of Christmas cookies around the holidays, but with three little kids it can be hard to find the time to bake all the kinds that I would like. So I like to have cookie swaps. Invite some friends and each person bakes and brings a dozen cookies with a copy of the recipe for each person, including themselves. It’s a fun evening to get together and everyone goes home with an assortment of cookies. I freeze mine and can pull them out throughout the season as we have company over. I usually have plenty and am able to send a platter with my husband to work too. The rest of my baking doesn’t feel as rushed and I can really involve my kids in the fun.
Sam
Shop online and ALWAYS look for promo codes! I go to http://www.retailmenot.com and usually find up to date codes I can use, or just type into Google and usually find a few that work. It’s a quick way to save money!
Sam
Shop online and ALWAYS look for promo codes! I go to http://www.retailmenot.com and usually find up to date codes I can use, or just type into Google and usually find a few that work. It’s a quick way to save money!
Mary
Shop online, use apps on a smartphone to find great deals, price around if you can, shop early (as in the summer or fall), find out what everyone would like (even if you want it to be a surprise as for a list of 5 or 6 things and you choose what to get them) so you already know what you are buying. Shop discount stores when possible, scour newspapers for coupons (Lord and Taylor usually have a good one in NYC papers on Wednesdays, Macy’s has them all the time in the papers). Use rewards points (ie: CVS, Staples) to buy things.
Mary
Shop online, use apps on a smartphone to find great deals, price around if you can, shop early (as in the summer or fall), find out what everyone would like (even if you want it to be a surprise as for a list of 5 or 6 things and you choose what to get them) so you already know what you are buying. Shop discount stores when possible, scour newspapers for coupons (Lord and Taylor usually have a good one in NYC papers on Wednesdays, Macy’s has them all the time in the papers). Use rewards points (ie: CVS, Staples) to buy things.
Lynsy
Starting in October, I start a word document that has a list of names of people to buy for and I start collecting links to gifts to buy for them.
lynsym at gmail
Lynsy
Starting in October, I start a word document that has a list of names of people to buy for and I start collecting links to gifts to buy for them.
lynsym at gmail
Kara McLeskey
My husband and I are using are rewards points that we’ve accumulated from our credit card for Christmas this year. We have a Chase freedom card and pay the balance off every month. We have over $700. I also use our swag buck and his bonus checks so that we are not spending any “real” money.
Kara McLeskey
My husband and I are using are rewards points that we’ve accumulated from our credit card for Christmas this year. We have a Chase freedom card and pay the balance off every month. We have over $700. I also use our swag buck and his bonus checks so that we are not spending any “real” money.
Brenda
Make all your Christmas cookies on one day (my mom and I always do this the day after Thanksgiving – after morning shopping). Keep the cookies in the freezer and you are set to go if you need to make up a plate as a small gift last minute.
Brenda
Make all your Christmas cookies on one day (my mom and I always do this the day after Thanksgiving – after morning shopping). Keep the cookies in the freezer and you are set to go if you need to make up a plate as a small gift last minute.
Kay pressley
I have joined swagbucks and have over $200.00 in Amazon gift cards. I am now starting to watch sales on Amazon and using my gift cards
Kay pressley
I have joined swagbucks and have over $200.00 in Amazon gift cards. I am now starting to watch sales on Amazon and using my gift cards
jennifer buck
I read a christmas story everynight, whether it is from the Chicken Soup Series or a chapter from a Christmas novel or a verse from the chapter of Luke. It helps relax me and remember the meaning of the season!
jennifer buck
I read a christmas story everynight, whether it is from the Chicken Soup Series or a chapter from a Christmas novel or a verse from the chapter of Luke. It helps relax me and remember the meaning of the season!
Jessie C.
Start early for sure. Watch for sales online and in-store so you learn the bottom line.
Jessie C.
Start early for sure. Watch for sales online and in-store so you learn the bottom line.
Sunnie
Plan ahead, use swagbucks, make homemade gifts.
Sunnie
Plan ahead, use swagbucks, make homemade gifts.
Shara Capel
Stock up on batteries before hand! It never fails that some decorations need new batteries and of course the toys that begin trickling in around the first of December.
Shara Capel
Stock up on batteries before hand! It never fails that some decorations need new batteries and of course the toys that begin trickling in around the first of December.
susan
My best advice is to start Holiday preperations E A R L Y !
It is never to early to start:
saving (swagbucks, mypoints, irazoo, etc)
picking up great deals (using coupons, money saving blogs, clearance sales, free item offers, etc)
planning: crafts, menu, baking, wrapping, hiding (LOL) etc
and RELAXING AND ENJOYING IT ALL, because it will be over before you know it
susan
My best advice is to start Holiday preperations E A R L Y !
It is never to early to start:
saving (swagbucks, mypoints, irazoo, etc)
picking up great deals (using coupons, money saving blogs, clearance sales, free item offers, etc)
planning: crafts, menu, baking, wrapping, hiding (LOL) etc
and RELAXING AND ENJOYING IT ALL, because it will be over before you know it
Kristin M
Like many others have said we shop year round for Christmas and birthdays. As we see things on sale that remind us of someone we pick them up and mark them off our list. We try to plan in the summer as well and we come up with things the kids can make for teachers and others. The girls love doing the crafts all summer and then our gifts are done long before Christmas and it is something from the heart, handcrafted from us!
Kristin M
Like many others have said we shop year round for Christmas and birthdays. As we see things on sale that remind us of someone we pick them up and mark them off our list. We try to plan in the summer as well and we come up with things the kids can make for teachers and others. The girls love doing the crafts all summer and then our gifts are done long before Christmas and it is something from the heart, handcrafted from us!