We had a great time with our Holiday Giveaway and loved all of the amazing comments and tips left on our Facebook wall… it seems like ShopAtHome.com users REALLY know the best ways to save big!
So, without further ado, congrats to Jessica D. for being chosen as one of the top 30 and then being picked from Random.org! Here’s Jessica’s comment:
My holiday shopping tip: Do your research: nothing ‘breaks my bank’ more than a gift given that will never be used or one that breaks soon after!! What a waste of money!!! I ask all of my gift recipients what they want starting around Halloween. Once I have their answers, I start to research those items, including reading reviews (by other moms, of course) and ultimately compile a finalized list of all the presents I plan to buy. Having a list prepared in advance absolutely prevents impulse shopping. I then use shopathome.com and other websites to find those items. Once I find the best deal on each item, I make the purchase. It’s my tried and true method of getting/giving the best gifts at Xmas for the best deals possible!!
A huge CONGRATS to Jessica for winning… we loved her comment and are excited to find out who the lucky five friends she picks will be!
Some of our favorite runners-up:
Jennifer D.: This tip is more about how to spread joy than to shop. I often shop sales throughout the year that offer a “gift card with purchase of…” I then save all of those free gift cards to buy items and gifts to donate to the local Women’s shelter during the holidays.
Erin H.: My best advice is this: With times being tough, if Layaway is available do it! You can start early and pay a little either each week or every 2 weeks, depending on the layaway contract! Also, with times being tough, figure out who is most important to give gifts to. For me, my son is the most important person, we put gifts away on layaway for him a few weeks ago, as far as the rest of our family, we are making gifts for them. We did the same thing last year and they loved them! Christmas is about being with family and for the kids! People will understand if you can not give a gift!
Suzzy R.: My best holiday savings tip is to go for the homemade heirloom gifts. My mom and I select a theme, usually in October and November, for the next year. We spend the holidays looking for items that fulfill that theme, and make out like bandits during the after holiday sales. We set goals for completing the items. For instance, I paint wooden ornaments every year, so I seek out old boards at yard sales and in trash piles, have the wood cut out by August or earlier, and all my ornaments (this year 96) have to be completed and wrapped by Halloween. So, the rough work is done, and a new theme is picked for the fun shopping season!
Nicholas K.: I have joined a ton of free sample blogs, websites, and clubs. There are a lot of companies on Facebook and Twitter that give out samples and coupons if you join as well. It turns out that every day I sign up for more free stuff. In my first week, I had already gotten enough freebies to take care of birthday presents and Christmas presents for my grandmother. It wasn’t cheap stuff either! It was all high-quality, top-of-the-line products that she will have no idea I didn’t pay for. I’m well on my way to getting enough presents for my mother for Christmas – all with free stuff! I even got her a brand new makeup kit worth $50 just for becoming a fan of a company on Facebook and filling out a form. The ironic thing about it is that they’ll probably enjoy these presents more than if I had bought something! I also enter a lot of contests and sweepstakes. If I end up winning any of them, I’ll definitely use them for gifts.
Tamara B.: Get your buddies together and organize a list among each other of what everyone is looking for. When I am out and see something on my list I pick it up and they pay me back . We do this on Black Friday,it saves us a lot of time and headaches. We each are designated to a two stores each, the week before we compile a list of what each one is wanting to buy. Circulars in hand we head out and meet back together for a celebration lunch.
Thanks to everyone who participated and, if you’re not already a fan of ShopAtHome.com on Facebook, get moving! We have exclusive giveaways, Facebook-only Double Cash Back Rebate days and so much more!
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