The Smart Holiday Spending Guide

Everything you need to know about holiday planning, shopping and budgeting in 2021

7 Tips for Saving on Your Holiday Shopping If You Got a Late Start

It’s December and the countdown to Christmas has begun. If you’ve just now gotten around to working on your holiday shopping list, don’t panic. There are still sales to be had, gifts that don’t require expedited shipping and ways to leverage cash-back deals to make the most of your holiday budget. Here are the best tips from industry experts to help you save if you’re behind on your holiday shopping. See: 6 Holidays Purchases That You Should Only Make at CostcoFor Your Shopping: The 11 Best Deals From Costco’s December Coupon Book Take Advantage of Upcoming Sale Days “Just because…

By Cynthia Measom

5 Ways You’re Wasting Money This Holiday Season — And How To Reign It In

By Andrew Lisa

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HOLIDAY MONEY ETIQUETTE

Complete Gift Guide

Rules You Should Know

Gift Exchanges and Activities

Avoid These Questions

Unrecognizable woman holds a Christmas present wrapped in red paper and tied with a white transparent bow.

The Ultimate Holiday Etiquette Gift Guide

By Nicole Spector

birthday, box, doorway, enter, female, generosity, gift, holding, human arm, indoors, one person, only one young adult woman, ribbon, stack, woman, young adult, young woman, horizontal, color, photography

19 Unspoken Gift-Giving Etiquette Rules

By Gabrielle Olya

SEASONAL TIPPING

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SMART SEASONAL BUDGETING

Woman spent all her money during Christmas shopping.

How To Shop For Everyone on a Tight Holiday Budget

If you’re one of the millions of Americans who have been struggling financially due to rising prices and interest rates, your holiday budget might be tighter than usual. New reports show that 21% of consumers making less than $50,000 a year are planning to go into debt during the holiday season. Even if you’ve been able to weather the financial storm this year, it’s still a good idea to make sure you stick to a budget to ensure the holidays don’t pile on any unnecessary debt.Holiday Spending: Get Top Holiday Shopping and Savings TipsMore: 3 Easy Tips To Turn Your…

By Gabrielle Olya

Experts Weigh In on the 10 Best Ways To Manage Holiday Spending

Even with the best of intentions, holiday spending can easily get out of control — displays abound with shiny new items that catch your eye as your browse; holiday décor and seasonal items are hard to pass up; and, of course, the expectations of holiday gift-giving may drive purchasing beyond your means, and most definitely beyond what you usually spend in any given month. But you don’t have to experience financial hardship with your holiday spending — experts weigh in on ways to manage your holiday spending for a joyful and affordable season. Explore: GOBankingRates’ Best Credit Cards for 2023More:…

By Jordan Rosenfeld

SMART SHOPPING

Cheerful young Asian woman receiving her parcel from a delivery man at home.

5 Apps That Send Alerts When The Holiday Gift You Need is Back In Stock

With supply chain issues leading to shortages on everything from microchips necessary to produce smartphones, video game consoles and televisions to clothing, sporting goods and even pet products, holiday shopping may pose extra challenges this year. POLL: How Much Will You Spend Over the Holidays Relative to Last Year? Find: How To Save Money on Shipping (Especially Around the Holidays) Of course, it’s not too late to start shopping if you haven’t already (which 52% of Americans have!). But it might take some extra time, diligence and patience to find everything on your friends’ and family members’ wish lists. And…

By Dawn Allcot

Tigard, Oregon - Nov 8, 2019 : People with carts in Costco Wholesale.

6 Holidays Purchases That You Should Only Make at Costco

Your Costco membership can help you save year-round, but it can be especially handy during the holiday season. The warehouse club has great deals on food, drinks and supplies for hosting during Christmas and New Year’s, as well as on decor and other seasonal items. When shopping for the holidays, buy these six items at Costco for the best deals.Dollar Tree: 5 High-Quality Items To Buy NowRead: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now

By Gabrielle Olya

Dallas, United States - October 31, 2015: Decorative pumpkins filled with assorted Halloween chocolate candy made by Mars, Incorporated and the Hershey Company.

5 Practical Ways To Cut Costs This Halloween Amid Inflation

By Vance Cariaga

Front 3/4 view of 2024 Chevrolet Equinox RS in Radiant Red Tintcoat.

4 Cars To Consider Buying on Sale over Labor Day Weekend

By J. Arky

Costco Wholesale sign on a building in Aloha, Oregon for stock photo.

5 Best Items To Buy at Costco During Labor Day for New Homeowners

By Jamela Adam

A white 2025 Mazda CX-90 driving down a city street for promotional photo.

4 Best 2025 Labor Day Car Deals

By Sean Bryant

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MORE ABOUT HOLIDAY SPENDING, SAVING AND BUDGETING

Why Do We Spend So Much Each Year on Holiday Shopping?

The American economy is thoroughly dependent on the hundreds of billions of dollars that change hands in the runup to the winter holidays — and a good season is one where people spend to the max. “When businesses are running, workers are working, and trade is taking place, the economy is functioning well,” said e-commerce entrepreneur Aviad Faruz, CEO of Faruzo. And boy, does it function well around Christmastime. Whether it functions as well for the people doing all that spending is another story. Here It Is: Our 2022 Small Business Spotlight The Future of Finances: Gen Z & How…

By Andrew Lisa

5 Charitable Donations To Consider as Gifts This Holiday Season

Uncle Al doesn’t need another tie. Grandma loves slippers, but her closet is overflowing with them. What to get the person who has everything this holiday season? Consider a donation to charity in the name of your family member or friend. Read: How Do You Turn Down Supporting a Charitable Cause? Learn: How To Not Overspend on Your Kids This Holiday Season The United States has more than 1.54 million charitable organizations, according to the National Philanthropic Trust. But how do you choose an organization to donate to as a gift? First, the charity should reflect the interests of the…

By Jami Farkas

The 7 Best Restaurant Gift Cards for the Holidays

If you’re trying to find gifts for the people in your life who seem to have everything or are difficult to shop for, consider a gift that just can’t go wrong: food. A hearty meal and a night out can make a better gift than some material object your friend or family member doesn’t need. Plenty of restaurants are capitalizing this holiday by offering “add-ons” or perks to make your dollars go further, as well. Here we lay out which restaurant gift cards are going to stretch the furthest. Check Out: 6 Holidays Purchases That You Should Only Make at…

By Jordan Rosenfeld