Holiday hacks to save you time and money

There is no time of year quite like the holiday season- both in terms of fun and in terms of expense. Here are some ideas on how to cut down those expenses.

Hit the Dollar Store

Cards- check! Boatload of festive decor- check! Fun stocking stuffers- check!  This is the only store where you can line your arms with shopping bags and only spend $20.

Cash in rewards

Your points on your store cards and credit cards aren’t just for travel, which is a common misperception. Many rewards programs let you cash them in for merchandise, which can help stretch your gift shopping budget much further.

Reuse Christmas cards

Holiday decor is often considered one of the essentials when it comes to your celebrating the season. You can save some serious money by doing a little DIY.

Use Christmas cards from years past to create a collage of winter scenes. Alternatively, use a circle cutter to cut rounds. Assemble on a white board and laminate. You’ve got yourself some holiday placemats with which to set the table.

Buy discounted gift cards

Do you ever clip coupons or scan flyers for sales in order to get your dollars to stretch further? What about if you pocket savings before you even got to the store? This year, consider buying discounted gift cards as a means to getting more mileage from your money.

There has been a surge in the electronic marketplace that lets you purchase discounted gift cards. Some popular ones include www.giftcardgranny.ca and www.cardswap.ca. Gift cards are generally speaking, as good as cash, which means that, with the discount, you are actually coming out of the gate ahead.

FYI- this is also a good way to raise some extra cash for yourself if you’ve got extra gift cards lying around that you have yet to use. Somebody will want them.

Frozen Turkey

Planning a holiday meal, but nervous about the costs and daunted by the thought of all the preparation? While fresh turkey certainly is moister, frozen turkey is generally far more affordable. There are even a number of turkeys that you can literally take out of the bag and pop in the oven, cooking right from frozen.

For extra savings, look at your supermarket for utility turkeys, which are generally missing a wing, leg or other piece. They are perfectly good, taste great and are often quite cheap.