5 ways to maximize holiday savings * Moms and Crafters

The holiday season is starting and I’m pretty sure that most of you are looking for ways to save on all those gifts you ~~want~~ need to buy. I’ve partnered with Giving Assistant to share with you some practical (and easy) ways to maximize holiday savings.

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.

I’m a long time fan of cashback sites, and have “earned” quite a pretty penny for them. I mean, if you’re buying the diapers anyway, might as well get some money back?

But when it comes to seasonal shopping, cashback is even more important. You find yourself spending so much, and every penny adds up. $5000 on gifts and get an average of 5% back, that’s $250 right there. Just shopping at Macy’s you can get 6% back!

5 Painless ways to maximize holiday savings:

Of course, these tips work all year round, but during holiday season you tend to spend much more, making savings even more important.

Make a clear list – that way you won’t buckle to sales unless it’s actually on the list. Make a budget to go with the list – a maximum dollar amount or range that you plan to spend on each person.
Shop online and compare – While it can be fun to join in the hype in-store, I recommend shopping online for a number of reasons. Numbers 3&4 below are just two of them. It’s easier to compare online, see what your options are, you save on gas (especially with stores such as Target that offer low minimums for free shipping.) I also find myself getting distracted more by items that are NOT on the list.
Use Giving Assistant for more cash back – As mentioned above, shopping via cash back sites is one of my best ways to save. Giving Assistant offers higher percentages than similar services, because they don’t share the affiliate income – they give it to you! (See below for more of an explanation on how cash back works.)
Scour for coupon codes – Giving Assistant has an updated list of promo codes you can go through to find the best deal.
DIY where it will be appreciated – While DIY is definitely not free (and it can frustrate you when you go with that attitude and end up spending) you can get more gifts for your buck when making it on your own. Do this with those who appreciate handmade especially. And use the tips above to save on your craft supplies too (4% cashback at Michaels, anyone?)

How cashback works and helps you maximize holiday savings:

Cashback sites typically work with something called “affiliate sharing.”

They are an affiliate for a retailer – meaning any time you use their special tracking link to make a purchase, they receive a commission. Most cashback sites share that affiliate income with you. If they earn a 5% commission on your purchase, you’ll earn 2.5% of it.

Giving assistant is unique in that it gives you 100% of the affiliate income they earned off your purchase. That way, you can maximize holiday savings and get the highest cashback rate available.

For example, you can get up to 12% cashback at the Microsoft Store (in addition to discovering which student discounts are available at the time…) That means you can buy your child that cool product he or she has been dreaming of without breaking the bank!

But that’s not the only way that they are unique:

For every purchase you make through them, they make a small donation to Feeding America
You can choose to donate a portion of your earnings to the charity of your choice.
Payout minimum is very low at $5.01, and you can get it in as soon as a week (depending on the method you choose.)
Giving Assistant’s customer service is ready to help you troubleshoot in case anything seems to be missing from your dashboard.

In this way, Giving Assistant turns your holiday shopping into an experience with the potential to help others celebrate the holiday season too.

Yesterday, I realized I needed a small basket to organize some things. I didn’t feel like spending much for shipping, and to meet minimum shipping requirements. I visited Giving Assistant and discovered that Pier 1 Imports had a free shipping code. That, in addition to 4% cash back helped me save a few dollars on this purchase. And that was just a small purchase. It can really add up.

Sign up for Giving Assistant here to help maximize holiday savings. You’ll start off with a $5 bonus in your account so it’s pretty much free cash.