Christmas is by far one of our most beloved times of the year! I just love it. Family gatherings, decorations, the aroma of Christmas pine, cinnamon, and orange! Just love it… 

As wonderful as Christmas time is for most of us, it is as easily overwhelmingly busy and expensive. Between, church plays, family visits, holiday shows, gift wrapping, baking, traveling…  and the list goes on!

Finding time can be difficult and budgeting can get out of hand.

Like you, I know how crazy Christmas time can get. So, below, I’ve rounded up 25 Christmas tips and hacks to make your holiday season easier.

These tips and tricks are chosen for there simplicity and affordability check them out below:

1. December 10th through 18th are the best days to shop.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

Dec. 10: Fitness Gear and Sporting Goods

Dec. 11-13: High Definition TVs

Dec. 14: Toys, Gaming Systems

Dec. 15: Stocking Stuffers

Dec. 16: Clothes, Tools, and Hardware

Dec. 18: Small kitchen appliances

See the full list over at Rather Be Shopping.

2. Save the most by taking a Christmas Day flight.

Via Flickriver

3. Decorated Tin Foil Cookie Boxes

Via Aunt Peaches

4. Make a Christmas Tree using Books

Via Family Sponge

5. Fill Your Home with the Smell of the Holidays

Via Half Baked Harvest

6. Use Candy Canes as Card Holders

Via Industrious Justice

7.  Let Paribus get your price adjustments for you. Automatically.

Via Budget Are Sexy

8. Take advantage of Amazon’s price comparison app to make sure you’re getting the best price.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

9. Make Your Own DIY Gift Bags

Via Designer Trapped

10. Book travel with the Hopper app.

Via Hopper

11. Send a Christmas postcard instead of a Christmas card + envelope.

Via Mailbox Happiness

12. Paint pinecones for quick, versatile decorations.

Via Factory Direct Craft

13. Don’t pay more than $80 for an artificial Christmas tree.

Via WSJ

14. Wrap Gifts with Fabric

Via Better Homes and Garden

15. Download the KCL app to learn how to get free stocking stuffers.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

16. When it’s time to put everything away, store string lights without tangling them by wrapping them around pieces of cardboard.

Via Martha Stewart

17. Sell unused gift cards on Raise.com for extra cash.

Via Flickr 

18. Buy other people’s unused (reduced priced) gift cards.

19. Wrap a large box in wrapping paper to use as a trash bag on Christmas morning

Via Chicaandjo

20. Sign up for store loyalty programs.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

21. Use a Garment Bag to Corral Wrapping Paper

Via The Chicsite

22. Mail packages by Dec 15th, 16th or 20th.

If you’re not ordering online and you’re shipping packages yourself, find out the deadlines for shipping for your chosen service. This way you can avoid paying expedited shipping fees and make sure your package arrives on time. Rule of thumb: the longer you wait, the more you risk paying increased amounts to ship.

• USPS: Retail Ground (packages or anything larger than a letter) ship by Dec. 15th. Mail your priority letters by Dec. 20th.
• UPS: Ship before December 10th. (This is the last day you can use UPS 3-Day Select, which is the most affordable service they offer.)
• FedEx: Ship by December 16th in order to use FedEx Ground to save the most.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

23. Pack ornaments in egg cartons

Via Buzzfeed  

24. For every 1 Foot of Tree Height You’ll Need 

Via Style at Home

25. Download each store’s app for coupons you can’t get anywhere else.

For example:

• Macy’s app: Get 25% off your first in-app purchase.
• The Children’s Place app: Get exclusive coupons and discounts when you download the app and enable push notifications.
• Kohl’s app: Get free shipping when you make a purchase through the app while you’re in-store.

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

Bonus

Use Pinterest to watch for price drops.

It’s true. Pinterest will tell you when a Buyable Pin that you’ve saved drops in price.

Note that it has to be a Buyable Pin, not just any Pin. But when the price drops, Pinterest will send you an email, and you can make the purchase right inside your Pinterest app. Start pinning your Christmas list now!

Via The Krazy Coupon Lady

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