Paying for the holidays can be a big drain on your finances, especially if you have a large number of people you intend to buy for. Some people choose to place their purchases on credit cards or choose stores with lay-a-way options, but a much better option is to free up some cash to pay for Christmas in full. Here are some things that you can do now to give Christmas gifts to the ones you love without going into debt.
Save Your Coins
One of the simplest ways to pay cash for Christmas is to save your coins during the year, exchanging them for folding money shortly before the holidays. Some people go so far as to only pay with whole dollars during the rest of the year and keeping all of the coins that they receive back for their Christmas change jar. If you do not want the hassle of rolling all of those coins yourself, many grocery and convenience stores have coin counting machines located near the front of the store that will count the coins for you and give you a voucher for the total amount to redeem at the cashier.
Sell Your Unwanted Stuff
If you want to make some money and make more room in your home for the new Christmas gifts you are expecting, consider selling some of your old, unwanted stuff for cash. Many cities have resale stores that buy used movies, video games, housewares, or clothing from individuals that want to sell them and resells the items to people that do not want to pay full price for merchandise that is brand new. There are also many websites available that will allow you to sell your used stuff for a small fee.
Use Your Reward Points
More than 120 million Americans participate in at least one program that offers rewards for specific actions. You cannot typically turn these points into cash directly, but you have options for spending them that can be very beneficial during the holiday season. Many programs allow you redeem your points for merchandise that can wrapped and given as gifts. In some cases, the points can be redeemed for gift cards that the recipients can use as cash at their favorite stores. If you have a lot of points, the points are about to expire, or you won’t otherwise use them, using them to obtain Christmas gifts is certainly an option.