Holiday Shopping Reminders :)

Yes it is September and I am talking about the holidays. My buddy Sara over on Steals and Deals posted recently about the holidays and I wanted to make sure I touched on a few things as well for my readers.

As Sara suggests, make a list. Definitely figure out exactly how many gifts you need and start getting some ideas. As of now I have about half of my shopping, maybe more, done. I should have more done, but I've been very selective :).

Buy things that are practical and match sales and coupons just like you would for grocery shopping. Don't buy a bunch of junk simply because it's cheap. Then the item may not get used, etc. It's kind of a waste. Part of the reason I haven't finished my shopping is because I know there will be some great sales on Amazon and other sites. I may want to buy an extra item off of there since I have gift cards.

Amazon does have GREAT holiday deals! So make sure you are using Swag Bucks for all your "google" searches and turn your bucks into Amazon gift cards. I have $25 right now and hope to have double that buy the time Nov rolls around. I got a $65 item for $40 last year that was a pretty hot toy from Amazon.

Toys R Us also has B2G1 free sales pretty much from now until Nov or so. There are coupons that go with this! I have seen $5/$25 purchase TRU and BRU coupons and coupons from manufactures. Leap Frog and Fisher Price are the two brands I see the most.

Also do not over pay for the hot items!! Be careful on sites like Amazon because they have "sellers" who can charge whatever price for an item they want. I often see hot toys at 3x's the retail price by sellers and people sometimes buy an item because it's on someone's wish list.

So if you want that hot item you can either wait it out or be persistent at the retail stores. If that doesn't seem reasonable, then go to ebay and stalk auctions. However realize the reason you can't find the hot toys in stores is because these sellers on ebay and amazon have bought them all with the intention of making money off of you.

In some instances I will pay $1 or $2 more with shipping for their hassle of going to the store for me :) However, I do not buy from sellers who are trying to take advantage of people. Of course this is my own personal opinion or motto. I prefer to take what I need and leave the rest for other mommas so we can all have a great holiday experience.

As a mom I know how much I want my kids to enjoy the holidays. I realize gifts aren't all that matters! I do not want my kids to think it's all about the presents, but spending time with family and enjoying life. I also want to make sure I find something for my girls to donate. I have a few "extra" presents I got super cheap that are high quality we will be donating. Teaching my girls to give even a little if you can.

I am hoping to get further insight from my other blog mommas :) Last year I had only just begun my thrifty journey! I am looking forward linking up other bloggers suggestions and tips to help us all save on the holidays.