It’s holiday season and you know what that means – you have a laundry list of gifts that you have to buy. There are eight days of Chanukah and you can only buy but so many “filler” presents like stickers, funny socks and other knickknacks. Kids, meanwhile, are eyeing certain toys in stores, you can’t disappoint your in-laws with what you buy them, and your friend bought you something special last year and you want to reciprocate without breaking the bank. So, how do you get hundreds of dollars’ worth of items for a fraction of the price?

The most important thing is to PAY ATTENTION to pricing. Just because something says it’s on sale doesn’t mean it really is. There are a lot of artificial markups. Do a quick Google search to see what the average price for something is and then look for a lower price than whatever average price you find.

When shopping online, I highly suggest utilizing a cash back website. A cash back website is a website that uses affiliate marketing links and gets paid a commission by a store for providing a sale lead. The website then shares a portion of their commission with you advertised as “cash back.” The website I personally use is Rakuten. Even better, shoppers new to Rakuten can get $30 cash back when you spend $30 or more at the store of your choice using my referral link. That’s $30 of free money!

What you buy also matters. Sometimes it helps to go for something meaningful rather than expensive. Throw blankets, custom photo books and humorous gifts can be an inexpensive way to show someone that you care. Cute mugs, cozy slippers and creative t-shirts can be a big hit, too.

As for the big-ticket items that your kids may be bugging you for, that’s where cash back websites are a huge help as they can easily put anywhere from 1 to 15 percent back into your pocket for something you’d buy anyway. Using promo codes when shopping online will bring the cost down, too. Most websites will showcase their promotional codes at the top of the screen. However, for many websites, if you search “coupons” in the search bar, you may find other unlisted coupons. This is the case for the arts and crafts store, Michaels as well as department stores like Macy’s.

If you happen to have a store credit card, check for specialized emails and offers. Kohl’s, for example, is known for giving away 30% off and even sometimes 40% off coupons to card holders. Usually it’s sent in an email mentioning a mystery deal. That said, I generally do not condone having a bunch of store credit cards. Typically, the interest rates are high and putting any item on ANY type of credit card will result in paying more than you have to if you don’t pay off the full statement balance each month. (Never pay the minimum payment. It sets you up to fail, financially speaking.) I recommend only getting a few store credit cards for stores that you shop at frequently and that offer discounts that are worth it. In addition to Kohl’s, I am also a Macy’s cardholder.

If you don’t have something specific that you’re planning to buy for someone, make sure to check out the clearance section of your favorite websites. Often there are great finds with lower than Black Friday prices.

Lastly, you can actually find great gifts at the drugstores (in the physical store). Starting 12/4/22, Rite Aid had a deal where if you spend $50 on gift cards to The Children’s Place, you get $8 back in store rewards. (There is a limit of 2 offers per household.) Rite Aid also has 60% off select toys and has an in-ad coupon (which you can find in-store) that gives you $10 back in rewards on any purchase of $50 or more. (Note: The coupon excludes gift cards.) CVS has a bunch of great deals this week like, spend $30 on select toys, get $10 Extra Bucks (store rewards). Those rewards can then be used to buy anything that you want. They also have LA Colors cosmetic sets for $5.99, get $4 in Extra Bucks and a deal where if you buy Revlon or Hot Tools hair appliances, you get $10 Extra Bucks. (All deals are limited to one of each offer.) Additionally, CVS also has a gift card deal where if you spend $50 on gift cards to Bed Bath and Beyond or Wayfair, you get $10 in Extra Bucks. Walgreens also has a gift card deal where if you buy two gift cards to Burlington, H&M, or Wayfair, you get a free $10 Walgreens gift card.

So, you see, gifting doesn’t have to break the bank, and it’s fun to find deals in unexpected ways. 

For more information on how to save, follow @thekoshercouponlady on Instagram or visit www.thekoshercouponlady.com.You can also purchase The Kosher Coupon Lady’s book ‘I Don’t Have Time To Save Money’ on Amazon.