Money-Saving Holiday Tips

The holiday season can be stressful for many reasons: seeing family, buying gifts, cooking, and more. As students, this anxiety can be intense since we don’t have steady incomes. I hope to relieve some of your seasonal stress with my money-saving tips!

DIY Cards

I don’t know what Hallmark does with all the money they charge for cards, but it certainly isn’t invested in their movies. Cards are commonly up to $10 each this season. However, you could buy some cardstock and markers and make fifty cards for the same price! You could create your own card designs using software, such as Canva, or download them from the internet and print it on the cardstock. Now you just have to color it in. Though, if you have a color printer you only need to print it out. You could simply draw designs onto the cardstock if you fancy yourself a talented artist. While this may take some more time than grabbing some cards from the store, the process is enjoyable and coloring can be relaxing.

Don’t focus on price

When buying gifts, try to get presents that will be useful and your recipient will enjoy, and don’t base your decisions on spending a certain amount. It is uncommon to remove price stickers or blackout prices on gifts so as to not fear judgment about how much you spent or appearing tacky. If you still want to get expensive items, try stores like T.J. Maxx that have costly items at a steep discount. 

Reuse gift bags

Not only will reusing gift bags save you money, but it also is environmentally friendly! Using gift bags is a lot easier than wrapping presents and they won’t end up as trash that you’ll have to throw out. Whenever you get a present in a gift bag, save that bag and use it for other people. Just make sure the print matches the occasion. 

Return presents you don’t want

I know that it is a hassle to return things, but are you ever going to wear the itchy sweater an unknown family member gave you? It is a waste to shove it in your closet to never be seen again. Return your unwanted gifts for cash-back or store credit to restore your depleted bank account or save you money later on.

Whether you employ one, all, or none of these methods, I hope you have an amazing and affordable holiday season.