Making Sense Of Cents

Learn how to make extra money, how to save money, how to start a blog, and more.

JOIN OVER 300,000
MONTHLY READERS!
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • Make Money
    • best online jobs
    • passive income ideas
    • paid online surveys
    • How To Make $100 A Day
    • 80 side job ideas
    • More Extra Income Ideas
  • SAVE MONEY
    • Free Amazon Gift Cards
    • 16 Alternatives To Cable TV
    • best rewards credit cards
    • How I Paid Off My $40,000 Student Loans
    • More Money Tips
  • Categories
    • Income Reports
    • How To Save Money
    • Extra Income Ideas
    • Blogging Tips
    • Career Advice
    • College
    • Pay Off Debt
    • Retirement
    • Self-Employment Tips
    • Travel
  • BLOG COURSES
    • AFFILIATE MARKETING COURSE
    • MAKING SENSE OF SPONSORED POSTS
    • HOW TO START A BLOG
  • Contact
    • About
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Recommendations

The Best Ways To Save Money This Holiday Season

Last Updated: December 9, 2019 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 4 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

24 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Are you ready for this year’s holiday shopping season? Did you know that the average person buys around $900 worth of gifts over the holidays?

It’s December, so you may have some spending to do still.

But, you don’t need to spend that much!

There are plenty of ways to save money over the holidays, and even get cash back for your spending.

The holidays can be expensive, but they don’t have to be if you are mindful of how you spend and save for the holidays.

The first step I recommend taking is setting a budget for your holiday shopping.

Completing this important step will allow you to analyze your holiday spending so that you can spend less money and not go into any unnecessary holiday debt.

This will enable you to make more informed decisions when it comes to your spending.

I advice seeing how much money you already have set aside for the holidays, think about how much you want to spend, and calculate what you need to do so that you don’t go over your holiday budget.

The things that you will want to think about and maybe include in your holiday spending budget are:

  • Presents
  • Transportation and travel costs (do you need to fly home?)
  • Food for parties and get togethers
  • Postage for any gifts and/or holiday cards
  • Seasonal cards
  • Wrapping paper, tape, and so on.
  • Decorations.

And the list may even go on further for you.

My next tip is to get cash back on your shopping this holiday season.

One thing I do to try to squeeze some more money back into my pocket is by using Rakuten (used to be called Ebates). Sometimes I forget to use this website, and I hate when I miss getting free cash back!

I have been using Rakuten for many years now and for me it is a no-brainer.

Whenever I shop online, I see if Rakuten will give me cash back on my purchase.

Rakuten gives you FREE money for shopping.

Also, you can even get cash back on travel. Holiday Inn, Travelocity, Expedia, and a bunch of other great travel companies are on Rakuten!

You are probably asking the question “What is Rakuten?” Below is a quick quote taken from their website:

“Since our founding in 1997, Rakuten has helped shape the way people shop online, offering Cash Back, deals and shopping rewards on the world’s largest selection of products and services. To date, our 12 million members in the U.S. have earned over $1 billion in Cash Back at their favorite stores.”

And, it’s actually that easy!

To figure out what percentage you will be earning for the cash back from your shopping, all you do is look at the percentage number next to the store name while you are on Rakuten’s website. They tell you the exact amount right there.

To earn money back from Rakuten stores, all you have to do is:

  • Sign up for your free Rakuten account
  • Click on whatever brand you are interested in shopping at. There are over 2,500 stores where you can earn cash back, so there are plenty of options (some of the Rakuten stores include Amazon.com, Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, J.Crew, Nike, and Target).
  • Then, all you do is shop just like you normally would and you will earn cash back.

Yes, it is that easy.

There is no monthly fee, no fee that you have to pay to Rakuten, or anything like that. It is absolutely free to you to use Rakuten.

You’ll also get a $10 Welcome Bonus after you join for free with my referral link and place your first purchase of $25 or more.

Rakuten is co-sponsoring a $100 giveaway with me. Sign up for Rakuten using my referral link, and click here to enter my giveaway. Good luck!

How do you save money over the holiday season?

Making Sense of Cents’ $100 Visa Giveaway

Related Posts

  • What I’ve Been MakingWhat I’ve Been Making
  • How To Simplify Your Financial Life – 12 Best TipsHow To Simplify Your Financial Life – 12 Best Tips
  • How To Sell Printables Online And Make Money As A BeginnerHow To Sell Printables Online And Make Money As A Beginner
  • Top Pet Products Not to Skimp OnTop Pet Products Not to Skimp On
  • What To Do If You’re A Victim Of Identity TheftWhat To Do If You’re A Victim Of Identity Theft
  • 14 Best Camping Breakfast Recipes For Your Next Trip14 Best Camping Breakfast Recipes For Your Next Trip
24 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

4 Comments
Filed Under: Budget

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Kari says

    December 14, 2019 at 8:41 am

    Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Grace says

    December 14, 2019 at 10:29 am

    Hi Michelle, thank you this awesome save. You do a fabulous job with your money saving Ideas.

    Reply
  3. Adam Webb says

    December 23, 2019 at 2:56 am

    The idea of getting cash back from daily purchases especially online is a fairly new concept. It’s just amazing that you can get a certain percentage of money back from the amount of money you spent for shopping. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  4. Lori Bosworth says

    January 3, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    I make a list and buy only what is on my list.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Making Sense of Cents welcome page photo
Hello and welcome!
My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

As Seen On

as seen on
How To Start A Blog
making sense of affiliate marketing for bloggers
My Monthly Online Income Reports
My Student Loans Are Gone - How I Paid Off $38,000 In Student Loans
How To Prevent Financial Fraud From Happening To You
Buying a House at 20 (How I did it)
How To Make Money Blogging Picture
How To Save 50% Or More Of Your Income Picture
How I Graduated From College In 2.5 Years With 2 Degrees AND Saved $37,500
75+ Ways To Make Extra Money

 

HOME
ABOUT
CONTACT
FREE FB GROUP

PRIVACY POLICY
TERMS OF USE
DISCLAIMER / EARNINGS DISCLAIMER
Copyright © 2011 - 2023. All Rights Reserved.

© 2023 Making Sense of Cents
Design by Lennox Creative Co.