Here we are midway into November. Christmas is seriously around the corner. Are you stressing about the financial part of it? Trying to avoid those credit card bills filling your mailbox or email inbox beginning in January? If you’re determined to have a debt-free Christmas, but getting a “late” start, here are some great ways to scrounge up some money plus SAVE while you shop!
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Earn extra cash
Sell your stuff to put extra cash in your pocket!
First, what do you have lying around that you can you sell?! Now is the time to get it out of your house and MAKE SOME MONEY on it! Anything and everything that you can put a price tag on, do it! It will be the fastest way to earn some extra cash, and there are so many ways to sell online now. Your Facebook profile and local Facebook garage sale sites are great ways to sell your stuff, in addition to the other options that have been around even longer (eBay, Craigslist, old-fashioned garage sales, etc. ) 
People are in the buying mood, so get it in front of them! Kids’ toys especially are super valuable right now! If you can sell it and bless another family with something used, in good condition, for a lesser price for Christmas, that’s a win, win situation!!
Serve others
Another way to earn some extra money is to think about a payable service you can do for others.
For example, if you’re a stay at home mom, let others know you’ll be willing to babysit for a few hours or even clean someone’s house in exchange for some cash. (I would totally take someone up on both of these right now!)
You can cook some extra meals while cooking for your own family, then sell the extras. This works really well for meals you can freeze!
You can also do something like pet-sitting, walking, etc. If you’re staying home for the holidays and others are leaving, consider checking with neighbors to see who is taking care of their pets! 
Your husband (or you!) could hang Christmas lights for others, set up another’s tree…and the list goes on. Just last year, a neighbor asked around for someone they could pay to come set up their Christmas decor while they were recovering from an injury.
The opportunities to earn some extra cash truly are endless! Get creative,
think about what you can do that would benefit others, and there WILL be a way to make money with it!
Talk to friends and neighbors, and even post on social media your valuable service , and you’ll find some takers! People are running low on time during this season of the year, so the right people will be more willing than normal to pay you for something they wouldn’t otherwise!
Save while you shop!
Retailer Coupons
While you wait in the checkout line (they’re usually long this time of year anyway, right?!), put your smartphone to good use. Search Google for a coupon online for that particular store. RetailMeNot is a good one to check if you don’t find one with a quick Google search.
Also, if a store you’re shopping has a rewards program, make sure you have joined! Or open their app, which is where the current deals and coupons for that store will be displayed.
Discounted Gift Cards
Did you know you can buy retail gift cards at a discounted price? There are so many sites now that offer physical cards and eCards at a discount. If you already know where you plan to do some of your shopping and have an idea of the price you plan to spend there, search for a discounted gift card first! Then use that card to pay for your purchases.
A quick search at Gift Card Granny showed me I could purchase gift cards offering 13% off at Books A Million, 15% at Dillard’s, 10% at Starbucks, 18.5% at Michael’s, and the list goes on and on! The options change by the day and even minute, so just checking here and there could get you a fabulous deal! Note: be sure to pay attention to whether it is a physical or digital card and how you can use it (in-store or online). You definitely want to make sure you can use it before purchasing.
For online shopping, make sure you do a few things before every purchase. 1) Do a quick Google search for an online coupon for that retailer 2) Click through eBates to get cash back. 3) Install the RetailMeNot Genie in your browser. If you missed a coupon, it could find it! Plus it gives you cash back on many purchases! 4) Use your discounted eCard found through Gift Card Granny to purchase 😉 All of that can add up to major savings!
Save when you eat out!
My first piece of advice when trying to save some extra money is of course, eat at home, and do NOT go out to eat!
But…I know for many of you, including our family, eating out is something we WILL be doing. So here are some tips! 
First, Gift Card Granny also shows you where to get discounted gift cards for restaurants! So if there is a place your family frequents, and you know you’ll use a gift card there, check for a discounted gift card!
Second, there’s probably an app for that! Download the app to your favorite fast food places and restaurants. There are rewards programs built into the app, so you will receive discounted and free options here and there. Our favorite apps are Chick-Fil-A, McAlister’s, and BJ’s Restaurant/Brewhouse.
Third, if you have kids, check when your favorite places have Kids Eat Free night. We frequent Salsarita’s almost every Monday night thanks to their Kids Eat Free program that night. McAlister’s has cheaper dine-in options for the kids too, so that makes it beneficial for us any time or day of the week!
Last tip for eating out: always order water to drink, not a soda or tea. The price of beverages is way too high, and that can blow a budget in a split second!
Save at the gas pump
And last but not least, while you’re out running all of your holiday errands or traveling for the holidays, don’t forget about the Gas Buddy app! Fill up at the cheapest price no matter where you’re located. Click on the app, and it will let you know gas prices nearby, so you can make the smartest choice 😉 If you’re okay with adding your bank account to pay on the app, you can even save 5 cents a gallon at many gas stations!
Save on your monthly expenses and use that savings toward a debt free Christmas!
Ready to set yourself up for a debt-free Christmas, AND for a more financially successful New Year? Get a good look at your monthly bills and subscriptions! You may be surprised at the ones you don’t use, don’t need, or can reduce!
**By the way, sign up for my email newsletter and get a FREE Savings Tracker Printable! You’ll receive FREE Bill Tracker Printables as well!**
Cable TV—we ditched cable a year ago, and haven’t looked back! Netflix was enough for our family then, and recently we added a Sling TV subscription (which you can try for FREE) back in. It’s still MUCH LESS than cable, plus we can pick what channels interest us the most and only pay for those we will watch!
Gym membership—once my husband went back to work after staying at home with our boys for three years, we found this wasn’t being used. Farewell, gym! We will revisit your monthly auto-draft in the new year 😉
Home and Auto Insurance
- If you haven’t shopped around for new home and/or auto insurance in the last year or two, it’s likely you’re missing out on substantial savings! I highly recommend checking with an independent insurance agent in your area that shops multiple insurance companies to find you the best coverage for the best price!
- Also, check your deductibles! If you have an emergency fund in place, you can look at increasing your deductible in order to significantly decrease your premiums. (Note: It is very important to make sure you have the emergency fund in place that can easily cover the deductible before increasing it!)
Life Insurance
If you’re paying for whole life insurance (or anything BUT term life insurance), you are OVERPAYING! Check out Zander Insurance for a 20 or 30 year term life policy (we originally got ours before kids, so opted for the 30 year policies). If your kids are older and you’re on a good track financially, look into the 20 year policy. 
The money you save on premiums every month versus a whole life policy is totally worth it! If you invested the difference, you would come out way ahead in the long term! And, ideally, in 20 or 30 years you will be “self-insured” by managing your money well between now and then.
Once your term life policy is in place, you can ditch your whole life policy (and may even get some of your money back!!), plus save SO MUCH money each month on those premiums!
Best tip for a debt free Christmas NEXT YEAR: start earlier 😉
Speaking of monthly expenses and beginning a financially successful New Year, consider starting a “savings fund” specifically earmarked for Christmas early next year! Add some money to it each month so by the end of the year, you will have some cash stockpiled! Sigh of relief!! Think how much less stressed you will be! We have done this for years now, and it sure takes much of the financial stress out of Christmas each year!
However, even if you didn’t already have some savings for this year, by using the above tips, you can still pull off a debt-free Christmas if you’re determined! Sell some things and think outside the box to put some extra cash in your wallet, plus save a substantial amount while shopping, eating out, and on your regular monthly expenses.
Above all, the best way to stay intentional with your money, no matter what your goal, is to HAVE A PLAN! Ruth Soukup and the Living Well team have designed an amazing FREE Holiday Planner. Grab that Holiday Planner here! You can plan your holiday budget as well as your meals and everything else holiday-related 😉
As always, even with a stressful holiday season approaching, continue to steward your money, and your life, intentionally! I’m here to help, so shoot me an email at pennystewardmama@gmail.com if you need some guidance on problem-solving (especially with your money), goal-setting, or anything else! I’m here to support you in any way I can!
Heather
P.S. Are you working toward a specific goal with your money? Whether you have a final savings goal for a debt-free Christmas, saving toward your emergency fund, a vacation, or something else, I have a Savings Tracker that will be fun and helpful! Click here to grab your Penny Steward Mama Savings Tracker!
In addition, if you’re wanting to get a jumpstart on the New Year, plan ahead, and get moving on your New Year’s Money and Life Resolutions BEFORE the New Year even starts, check out the Living Well Planner here. I have been using it for almost an entire year, and it is moving me toward my goals and life aspirations like never before! 2019 is looking like a fabulous year already! 😉
