It’s Frugal Friday! Each week, I’ll share tips, encouragement, and practical ideas for living a frugal lifestyle!
During the Christmas holiday shopping season (which starts earlier each year!), with all the focus on buying, we don’t always tend to think about ways to make it frugal. We all like to score deals, and a little organization can go a long way to make sure your bargains don’t get lost in the holiday shuffle.
For instance, every year around Black Friday, we find some great deals on small appliances at Kohl’s…but the deals are only awesome when you send in the mail-in rebates to get some of your money back! Those rebates require the rebate forms, receipts, and proofs of purchase to be mailed within a specified period of time. If you’re missing any part of that equation, you could lose out on your rebate check, and suddenly your frugal gift isn’t so frugal.
Organization can also be a big help after the holiday too, if you need to make returns or exchanges. Many gift items are deeply discounted after Christmas, and if you try to make returns without a receipt, you may only receive a store credit for the clearance price rather than what you paid. You want to get your money’s worth!
Start now (or as soon as you start your Christmas shopping) and find some kind of organizational method that will work for you. It might be as simple as a file folder or envelope in a safe place where you can stash all your receipts and shipping forms for your purchases. Print out rebates for online purchases as soon as you buy, and take note of all rebate requirements, including mailing deadlines. Gather UPC codes and any other requirements and mail them ASAP so you can get your money back quickly. This is a great idea for any time of year, but especially important now as things ramp up for a busy and fun holiday season.
What’s your method to the holiday madness? Any tips to share for how to keep receipts and rebates organized? Join the discussion in the comments or on Facebook!
If you’re just joining the Frugal Friday series, check out these other posts:
- Tracking Your Spending
- Creating a Budget
- Making Frugal Choices
- Fighting Spending Envy
- Could You Cut the Cable?
- Saving on Food Expenses
- Schedule to Save (keeping track of due dates to avoid fees & penalties)
- Staying Organized with Holiday Shopping & Rebates
- Frugal Lovin’ (Love & money, plus date night on a Shoestring Budget)
- Waste Not, Want Not (buying what you’ll use, and using what you buy)
- Frugal Fashion
- Frugal Beauty
- Frugal Cooking tip: Prep Once, Eat Twice!
- Budget Check-Up
- Plan ahead for Christmas
- Creating an Emergency Fund
- Getting by on a Single Income
- Reducing Fixed Expenses
- Free Printable Frugal Living Resources (meal planners, expense trackers, and more!)
- Saving on Gasoline
- Tips for Tax Time
Megan has been frugal most of her life, but has been really honing her frugal skills as the chief home economist for her family of six, surviving and thriving on a single (teacher’s!) income. If she can do it, you can too!
