12 Days of Xmas : Day 4

This one is near and dear to my heart... I love a good steal, and get excited about bargains!

Day 4: Tips/Tricks to a Budget Friendly Holiday Season


1. If you're shopping online, always ALWAYS do a quick google search for coupons. I can't tell you the last time I bought something and didn't find a 'free shipping' code or a 15% off discount code or something. Every little bit helps! And a lot of times they can be combined!

2. If you have an iPhone, get a barcode scanner app - they're like $0.99 for a good one. All you have to do is scan the barcode of an item and it shows you comparable prices from all different sites/stores, so you can check to make sure you're actually getting a good deal!

3. I'm sure you've all heard of Groupon, but have you ever considered buying deals from cities that are on the other side of the country? A lot of cities offer discounts for websites, that can be used anywhere. I actually am getting my moms Christmas present (MOM don't start snooping!) using a Groupon deal from San Francisco or something! I highly suggest Groupon Girl, she points out "national, doesn't-matter-where-you-live bargains" every day.

4. I swear by the site restaurant.com, you can purchase gift certificates for tons of local restaurants for deep deep discounts. It's a great way to save some money if you like to eat out, and I think they make great gifts too! Once you buy one, they send you coupon codes every morning to get even cheaper gift certificates. And the bonus, you print them right off your computer so you can use them whenever you want (or reprint if you can't remember where you put it at in your house!)
*Bonus tip: if you're planning a vacation to another US city, check-out the gift certificates for restaurants in your destination!




That's all I've got for now, I'm pooped out after a full day of shopping! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!