Hanukkah celebrations have already begun and Christmas day is officially 10 days away. It’s been a really tough year for everyone and the last thing we need right now is to go into debt for the holidays. Let’s be honest, nobody wants that huge credit card bill to look at in January. Here are some judgement-free tips to survive the holidays without going into debt this year!
Use Rakuten
My favourite way to save a little cash online shopping is using Rakuten. This hack is definitely not going to make you rich but it can seriously help keep some cash in your pocket. Rakuten is the company previously known as Ebates and it is not too good to be true!
I’ve gotten $96.70 back this year alone just shopping as I normally would. You don’t have to input a credit card or anything, they’ll simply send you a cheque in the mail with your cash back every 3 months.
All you need to do is:
- Sign up
- Click on whatever brand you’re interested in shopping at
- You will be automatically redirected to the brands website and you will receive cash back on whatever you purchase
It’s honestly that simple and trust me, it’s worth it! Rakuten works with brands like Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Dyson, Amazon, Mejuri, just to name a few (there are a couple thousand more!). Usually the cash back offers are around 2.0% but sometimes the offers are over 10%, it’s insane.
Sign up with this link and get an additional $5 when you spend your first $25.
Secret Santa
As we get older and expenses start building (and after the crazy year we’ve had), this may be the perfect option for you and your family. Suggest a Secret Santa gift exchange for Christmas this year!
I personally know a few families that do this to help relieve the stress of spending over the holidays. It’s so clever! Everyone still get’s a little something but what’s clear is that the most important part of the holiday is spending time with your loved ones. Purchasing just one gift could help you and your family survive the holidays without going into debt.
Gift Swap
Consider a gift swap for you family celebrations this year. It’s the same kind of idea as Secret Santa but it might be way more fun for the family! This game will unfortunately only work if you’re able to spend the holiday with your family in person this year.
Essentially, everyone brings a gift for no one in particular and you place them under the tree or wherever you like. Everyone grabs a gift, sits in a circle and you roll a pair of dice to either 1) rotate gifts to the left or right, 2) steal someone else’s gift and replace it with yours or 3) open your gift. The game ends when the last gift is unwrapped!
For more detailed instructions click here.
Set A Maximum
Look at your bank account right now. How much do you realistically have to spend on gifts for others? And I really mean how much do you have to spend? Not how much can you hold on your credit card until next month… How much do you have right now?
One year I had zero dollars to spend on Christmas gifts and used my Scene points to take my family to the movies. I kid you not. And guess what? We had an absolute blast!
In all honesty, your family could not care less about the gifts if you’re going to be going into debt for it. Gifts are a nice to have but they’re not a necessity.
Make a home-made card. Bake some cookies. There are so many things you can do to show the people around you that you care about them without breaking the bank.
Set a budget for your gifts with your friends and family and let them in on your situation at the moment.
“Hey, I’m trying to save up for ____, OR it’s been a really hard year and I’m still trying to get back on track, would you mind keeping gifts to $____ this year?”
Who the heck is going to be upset about that? If anything, your family and friends will be more upset knowing you overspent on gifts for them. Nobody wants you to hold a balance on your credit card for them. Literally no one. Remember that.
Start Saving Early
For next year, start getting ahead of the game. You could start setting aside small amounts of money throughout the year and future you will thank you.
Setting aside $50 a month saved my butt this year and it could really help you next year as well. I know it doesn’t seem like a lot but before I knew it, I had $600 in a savings account ready to spend on thoughtful gifts for my loved ones.
At the end of the day, your friends and family love you for you, they don’t just hang around you because of the gifts you provide. This is the time of year to be grateful for what you have, so let’s survive the holidays and not ruin it by going into debt this year, shall we?
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