Simple Ways You Can Save Money During The Holidays

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:00 AM PST

It seems like the holidays always get here before we are ready. The holidays have a way of creeping up on us and before we know it our entire budget has been thrown off thanks to our generous gift buying. We don't want to disappoint those we love, so we break the bank and splurge hoping we can pull it back together in the new year. The holidays, however, can be much more manageable by getting a little creative and seeking out easy ways to save money. [Also See: Frugal Holiday Shopping Tips]

To get you started, we have come up with a list of ways you can save money during the holidays.

Join A Daily Deal Site

You have probably noticed the daily deal site craze that is currently taking the web by storm. It seems like these websites are popping up everywhere. If you haven't been bitten by the daily deal bug yet, then you are missing out on saving some serious money. These sites offer discounts for just about everything under the sun. One day it might be a $10 coupon to your favorite restaurant that usually goes for $25, and the next day it could be $999 trip to the Bahamas that would normally cost you double. You could use a daily deal site to score a nice gift for a friend or family member. To get you started, take a look at some of the popular daily deal sites like Groupon.com EverSave.com. LivingSocial.com and Woot.com.

Buy Discounted Gift Cards

Gift cards have long been a favorite gift to give because the recipient can buy whatever their heart desires. Instead of buying gift cards at full price, you can them online at places like Plastic Jungle and get a nice discount. You can get gift cards to all the popular retails stores like Best Buy and Target, or go for a favorite restaurant like Applebee's or Olive Garden. All the gift cards are discounted at different rates depending on the demand for each particular card. And if you don't want to give a gift card as a gift, these discounted cards are an easy way to save money when buying gifts for friends and family.

Buy Used Instead of New

I recently visited a second hand shop and was surprised to find some great quality electronics for cheap. The store I visited had a great selection of top brand mp3 players, game systems and cell phones. The way this particular store works is they offer their items at one price, but if the item doesn't sell within a few weeks, they lower the price. The cool thing was they list right on the price tag when the item will be reduced and the amount it will be reduced to. So for example, you might find a digital camera that is listed at $150 that might be a pretty good deal, but still too expensive for you. On the tag you will see the camera will be reduced to $100 on December 12. It might take a little working finding the right second hand store, but when you find a good one, it's definitely worth it! And there are always online options such as Craigslist and eBay.

Cash Back Credit Cards

When it comes to saving money, the last thing that might come to mind is a credit card. After all, credit cards are inherently evil, right? Often that seems to be the consensus among many, and as a result, we miss out on the benefits credit cards provide. Credit cards offer you a variety of benefits like building credit, providing you with an interest free loan, and even saving you money. Using a cash back credit card is one easy way to save yourself some money. With a cash back card you earn a percentage back on your purchases. Typically, these cards pay 1% to 5% cash back on the amount you charge to the card.

This guest post is from Michal, the senior editor of popular personal finance sites Dough Roller and Credit Card Offers IQ