How I saved money on Black Friday & Cyber Monday

I don’t know about you but my budget is pretty tight with all the bills I am and will be paying. The sales I’ve passed by at the mall and those offered online don’t help either. So, with the holiday season sale fest kicked off by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, I decided on finding ways I can save instead of spend. Below are some tips I am using to maintain my budget and prevent over spending for this holiday season. I think we forget that the holidays aren’t just about the gifts and the decorations. They’re about the laughter, love and time we share with our loved ones. Now that’s priceless.

Tips:

Look in your closet. Not just what you can see, actually dig through some clothes you probably stashed in boxes or other places in the house. The cool thing with fashion is that some items go back in style. Check which ones you can comfortably wear again that you can add to your current wardrobe
Make a list. The whole point of checking your closet first is to identify which items you actually NEED to get. A worn out blouse with a noticeable stain is probably something you need to throw away, BUT do you have another one in your closet? Again, a pair of shoes that don’t fit you might also need to be replaced, BUT can you do with other pairs?
Check what’s on sale. Now that you have a list, you can browse through those email alerts and storefronts to see what’s on sale. If you check which ones you’ll get and at which store, it reduces the time you spend at the store and buying something you might not actually need. Also, check whether there is a better deal for the same item online. Often there are. If it’s not something that might break during shipping, see if you can buy it online instead
Think before you buy. This just means that you need to make wise investments. A good pair of shoes and warm coat are just examples of items that you shouldn’t cheap out on. Think about it. A pair of nice shoes is something you can wear more than once and if you can in different seasons. I have a pair of nude sandals I bought last year and I still wear them this year for different occasions (e.g. wedding, church, night out, etc.)

pickerimage My mom and I found 2 skirts, 1 trouser, and a couple of shirts for me alone. The outfit I wore today? All bought from last year or a couple of years ago with the exception of my shoes. Those shoes were the only thing I actually bought during the sales! Saving money is not as hard as we might think it is. At its core, it’s about realizing that not everything you want to buy is actually something you need.