7 Little Luxuries To Avoid Buying During the Holidays
Written by
Jennifer Taylor
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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Treating yourself feels nice. Indulging on products and services that make you feel good — within reason — isn’t typically a bad idea, but it can be wise to hit pause during the expensive holiday season.
For the 2024 winter holidays, consumer spending is expected to reach $902 per person on a combination of gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items, according to the National Retail Federation.
It’s possible you don’t even realize how much you’re spending on these extravagances. Here’s a look at seven little luxuries to cut out this holiday season, to make room in your budget for the inevitable extra spending.
Lattes
- Average price: $5.46, according to Toast.
You might be in need of extra caffeine, but buying lattes out can eat into your holiday budget. If you need an energy boost, brew coffee at home instead to save money this season.
Manicures and Pedicures
- Average price: $20 to $25 for a standard manicure and $35 to $40 for a standard pedicure at a spa or salon, according to Cost Helper.
A professional manicure and pedicure aren’t cheap, especially if you need to visit the salon multiples this season. True, you might not achieve that perfectly polished look, but doing your own nails at home will cost a fraction of the price of one of these services.
Food Delivery
- Average price: Varies.
The holiday season can be a busy one, so ordering food for delivery can be tempting. However, delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates charge a premium for this service.
For example, on DoorDash, you’ll pay a service fee, delivery fee and Dasher tip with each order. Even if you pay $9.99 per month for DashPass, you’ll still likely be charged a 5% service fee on most orders, as well as a tip for your Dasher.
Valet Parking
- Average price: $10 to $25 at restaurants, according to Summon.
Whether the weather outside is frightful or finding parking in the area is tricky, you might want to give your car keys to a restaurant valet and be done with it. However, this can add up fast — especially considering you’ll need to tip the valet on top of the parking fee.
Avoid this by scoping out the parking situation in advance. You might need to leave home a little earlier or wear a warmer coat, but the savings will be worth it.
Hair Blowouts
- Average price: $55 to $70 at DryBar.
No doubt, getting a blowout before a holiday gathering will look and feel great. However, this is often the price of a haircut or even more.
In fact, you can probably buy a few small gifts for the price of one blowout. Swapping this indulgence for a your own hairdryer at home this season can save serious money.
Bottle of Wine at Dinner
- Average price: 300% to 350% markup of popular and mid-premium wines at restaurants, according to Binwise.
When dining out, ordering a bottle of wine with dinner can be a nice indulgence. However, you’ll be paying at around three times the sticker price just to drink it in a restaurant.
For example, a $15 bottle of wine might cost $45 to $52.5 at a restaurant. Avoid this upcharge by ordering water with dinner and buying a bottle of wine at a liquor store to enjoy at home.
Buying and Renting Movies
- Average price: Varies
Even if you pay for a streaming service, you don’t always have free access to the entire catalog. If you really want to watch a specific movie or television show, it can be tempting to rent or purchase it.
It’s best to stick to content that comes free with your subscription, as paying extra can add up fast. For example on Prime Video, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” costs $7.99 and one episode of “Yellowstone” costs $2.99.
Editor’s note: Prices are accurate as of Dec. 20, 2024. Prices and availability may vary by location.
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