Thrifty Thinking: Holiday Savings Tips

Looking for some easy ways to save this holiday season?  Here are tips to help curtail some of the expenses of gifting and entertaining while abating a total meltdown this month and a nervous breakdown in January when all the bills start arriving.

Wrapping paper:

--for the immediate family, use inexpensive wrapping paper, newspaper and even leftover rolls of wallpaper if you have any. You can find wrapping paper on sale,  at craft stores using the 40% off coupon in the weekly circular for Michael's, Hobby Lobby or Joann's craft stores, at dollar stores and at discount stores like Big Lots.  Save by wrapping with tissue paper and reusuable gift bags bought at the dollar store or Walmart.  Look for sales on nicer wrapping paper at 75% off after Christmas to use for next year. 

Holiday cards:

--you can save on photo cards by using coupon codes and free shipping codes for sites like Shutterfly and Snapfish.  You can also order photo cards online from stores like Walgreens and Target and will save on shipping costs by picking the cards up at the store.  Depending on the size and quantities of the cards you order, you may pay $1 or more per photo card.  If you order 100 cards, you'll spend $100 or more with tax.

--if you'd like an inexpensive alternative to the photo card while still sending current family photos, you can buy boxed holiday cards inexpensively at discount stores (a box of 16 cards at Dollar Tree averages 6.3 cents per card).  Upload a favorite photo to Walgreens or Target, use a coupon code, and you'll pay 13 cents per print.  Enclose the print in the card, which also allows you to be selective about who you send a photo.  If you ordered 100 prints, you'll spend $20 with this approach.

--postage costs will be $49 for 100 mailed cards.  Save money on postage by going paperless. The least expensive option is to upload a photo to a holiday card template online and send it to friends and family via email.  It may not be as traditional but it will be free, as well as environmentally responsible.

Save on groceries:

--traditional holiday meal items are at their lowest prices, such as ham, turkey, pork tenderloin and beef tenderloin.  Check your store's sales circular and plan your holiday meal around featured sale items to save up to 50%.  Use grocery deals match up lists on sites like CouponMom.com to find the best store sales matched with coupons.

--use coupons from the newspaper and online to save on common holiday meal items, such as frozen vegetables, frozen pies, breads, holiday candies and chocolates, and many more items.

--if you're not a coupon user, shop for store brand basics a discount stores like Aldi to save 15%  or more off supermarket prices without coupons.

--accept potluck offers.  If friends or family members offer to bring a dish to a meal, accept.  Otherwise they'll bring a candle or other hostess gift that you probably don't need.

--if you are entertaining during the season, consider hosting a breakfast or lunch rather than a full dinner.  Your meal costs will be lower and you'll avoid the cost of buying wine and alcohol.   

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. With more than 7 million members, Coupon Mom gives members access to thousands of printable coupons for groceries, restaurants and more. As the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country, Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.