The holidays are a time of celebration and gratitude, so it’s no surprise that we all want to save money. After all, the holidays can be expensive! There are many ways you can save money this December, but if you’re looking for specific ideas on how to do so with minimal effort then read on!

Make a budget

Before you start shopping, make a list of all the things that are important to you and your family. Once you have that down, add up how much money each person in your family will spend on this particular holiday event or gift. If it’s only one person who is buying gifts for everyone else, then just double their spending amount. It’s important to account for every expense so that there aren’t any surprises later on when trying to reconcile accounts at tax time (which can be stressful!).

Set up a holiday savings account

• Set up a holiday savings account.
• Make sure you put money in it regularly so your kids don’t get the idea that it’s for just one time of year.
• Use this account to pay off holiday debt, or even buy gifts for next year!

Start a gift exchange

A gift exchange is a fun way to save money this year. It’s also a great way to give and receive gifts without spending a lot of money. You can do it with family, friends or coworkers—or even strangers!

If you’re looking for ways to cut back on holiday expenses this year, consider starting an annual gift exchange among your friends or family members. This way everyone gets something they really want without having to spend too much money on each individual present. Plus there’s no pressure involved; everyone gets what they want for Christmas (and maybe some other stuff too).

Try out pot-luck-style dinners and get-togethers

Potluck dinners are a great way to save money. You can make delicious meals with less money by sharing the cost of ingredients, or you can also share the cost of preparing them. And if you’re hosting potluck dinners for friends, you can even go so far as to make sure that everyone pays their own way!

Buy your holiday cards in the off-season sales

If you’re looking for an affordable way to send holiday cards this year, consider buying them in the off-season.

One of the best ways to save money on holiday cards is by shopping around and looking for sales during this time. When it comes time to order your cards, look at what’s available online or locally when making your purchase. You can also find deals on posters that would make great gifts with their messages printed on them.

Take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

• Look for deals online. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the days when retailers put their best offers on sale, so it’s important to know where to look. You can check out various websites like Amazon and Walmart, but there are also some apps you can download to help maximize your savings:
• ShopSavvy is a Chrome extension that will show you all of the deals within a certain radius of wherever you’re shopping, so no more wandering around aimlessly trying to find something good!
• The Retail Me Not app gives users access to their local area’s best deals in real time—so when it comes time for them to shop this holiday season, they’ll have access right at their fingertips

Cut out travel costs this year

• Use public transportation, if possible. If you live near a train or bus stop, consider taking advantage of that option instead of driving long distances to and from work every day. You’ll be saving money on gas and parking fees as well as reducing your carbon footprint by not contributing to global warming.
• Stay closer to home. If you have family or friends in another city or town who are willing to host you for the holidays, why not stay with them? It’s much cheaper than renting an apartment (or paying for hotels) during these busy times—and it will save time by avoiding traffic jams on the way back home after visiting relatives!

Also Read: 10 Benefits of A Savings Account For Your Business

Go digital with gifts

If you’re looking to save money this holiday season, one of the best ways to go about it is by going digital. You can save up to 80% on your order by using a gift card from your favorite retailer. This will reduce the amount of cash that you need to spend on presents and make sure everyone who has been good this year gets something nice when they open their presents!

You could also use online shopping sites like Amazon Prime or Grocery Outlet where they have special deals all year long! Just keep an eye out for sales as well as coupons that may be available at certain times throughout each month so we don’t miss out on any great deals.”

Start shopping now while they’re on sale

If you’re looking to save money this December, don’t wait until the last minute. Many stores will discount their products during the month of December in order to get rid of inventory and make room for new items. As such, there’s no better time than now to start shopping for deals!

• Online shopping: You can find great deals on items like electronics or clothing by simply searching online for them. You may be surprised by how much cheaper some things are when purchased from an online retailer than at brick-and-mortar stores or big box retailers where they might have been selling them already since they were placed on sale there first instead of waiting until after Christmas Day before doing so.

Spread your meals throughout the month so you use leftovers before they go bad or stale

• Plan meals in advance. This can be done by making a menu and shopping according to it, or just finding out what ingredients you need at your local grocery store’s weekly ad.
• Use leftovers creatively. You may not have enough food to last the whole month, so make sure that each meal has something left over from previous ones! If you’re trying to create variety in your dinners, try using some of these ideas:
• Make soup with the meat from dinner along with some vegetables (and maybe even cornbread).
• Use half-empty containers as salad toppings instead of buying new ones every time.

Hang your stockings on the door to save space

If you have a large family and tend to overdo the Christmas cheer, find a way to free up some space in your house. The easiest way is to hang your stockings on the door. This will allow you to use less space inside, which means more money in your pocket!

To make sure this works for everyone at home, I recommend using hangers that are easy to remove or hooks that can be easily removed from walls (or ceilings). If you have older kids who might not think this is fun enough yet, try using nails instead of screws as they’re less likely to break off while hanging them up themselves!

There are many sneaky ways you can save money around the holidays, you just have to look for them!

Conclusion

With all of the fun and excitement surrounding the holidays, it can be easy to forget about money. But saving money doesn’t have to be a chore.

By taking advantage of these 12 tips, you can save yourself some extra cash this season without even trying!