Holiday Gifts On a Budget (YES, It’s That Time!)

You may think it’s too early to start thinking about holiday shopping (hey, Rach usually starts in AUGUST), but giving season does have a way of sneaking up on us!

That’s why we brought in Shopping and Trends Expert from RetailMeNot Sara Skirboll to help us get the ball rolling -- without emptying our wallets!

TIP NO. 1: Buy in Bulk for Teachers’ Gifts

Sara says parents plan to spend about $29 on each of their children’s teachers. Yowza, that can add up!

Her advice? Buy in bulk instead!

She recommends a set of 3 Voluspa candles for $24. That’s only $8 per candle! (And they’re pretty luxurious, too.)

TIP NO. 2: Think Quality Over Quantity for Your Best Friend

According to Sara, people plan to spend anywhere between $57 and $60 on their best friend -- but you don’t necessarily have to go that far to make the gift count! (For the record, Sara thinks $30 is more than enough.)

Instead, focus on finding something she wouldn’t normally buy for herself, like a beautiful sleep mask (like this $18 option by Floreat). Pair it with some lavender tea and bath salts from the drugstore, and you’re good to go!

TIP NO. 3: Get Joint Gifts for Parents and In-Laws

Instead of buying four separate gifts (those sure can add up!), pick something that your parents and in-laws can enjoy together, respectively.

Sara recommends an ECHO Dot, which rings in at $50, because both mom and dad (and mom and dad in-law) can use it, as it recognizes more than one voice. Genius!

TIP NO. 4: Think About Age When Shopping for Your Kids

On average, parents plan to spend $330 on each child. Whoa!

To cut back, perhaps only buy one hot new toy per kid (like the trendy Hatchimals Surprise, drone or portable speaker) instead of 5 or 6 or 7 each.

Remember, your kids may grow out of the toys in the blink of an eye anyway!

As for high school or college students, buy gift cards at a discount (some up to 20% off on RetailMeNot!). Kids like to shop for themselves at that age anyway!

“When it comes to holiday shopping, we all want to save time, we all want to save money, we all want to save hassle and stress,” Sara stresses. “So I always recommend downloading the free RetailMeNot app.” She says you can save up to “$20 in 20 seconds” on everything from clothes to accessories, travel and restaurants!

Happy shopping, everyone! YOU GOT THIS.