Awesome Tips and Tools To Keep Your Holiday Shopping On Budget

How can you do your holiday shopping when you’re on a tight budget? It’s time to start thinking about holiday gifts, and your checking account is just as empty as it was this time last year. Even if you spend months saving up to handle the expenses of the holiday season, there’s one thing you need to learn how to do to make it successful every time: you need to shop on a budget.

Here are smart, practical tips to find the best deals and maximize every cent you spend. We’ll even cover how you can secure car title loans and payday loans, Texas if you’re facing a financial emergency.

Take Advantage of Cashback Apps and Programs

Sign up for cash back apps like Dosh and Rakuten. Some of them offer 10% cashback for new members and let you earn up to 40% back at thousands of retail stores. Ibotta also lets you scan barcodes, submit receipts, or complete tasks on the platform to earn points. Check the offers of different cashback and receipt scanning platforms. Who knows, they’ll reward your efforts with gifts that you can use for holiday shopping.

Get A Budgeting App

We all know how important budgets are, especially now when you’re trying to get the most value out of every dollar. Apps make it much easier to keep track of expenses, since you can update them from your phone, and they can flag you if you’re overspending. It’s like having a financial advisor at your fingertips!

Get A Coupon and Holiday Sale Aggregator

You need to compare the prices of as many stores as possible, but that can be very time-consuming and tedious. Luckily, there are websites and browser extensions that can simplify the process! CouponCabin, Fat Wallet, DealNews, and Offer.com list the latest coupon codes and sale announcements. FreeShipping.org shows stores or products that offer free shipping, and price prediction tools like Decide.com calculate the best time to buy something to get a maximum discount.

You’ll find many more sites like these on the internet, so take your pick and be the first to know about the best deals in town.

Buy Gift Cards At a Discount

At sites like PlasticWAllet, people will sell their unused gift cards at a good price. You can also buy discounted cards at Cardpool, Giftcards.com, Cardpool, Raise, and CardCash.

Follow Stores On Social Media

Keep abreast of sale announcements, product giveaways, buy one take one deal, and flash sales. You can also ask to be added to their newsletter and get early notifications of their promos. Just set up a special email account for your “retail mail” so it doesn’t clog up your personal or work email.

Don’t Buy The Latest Gadget

Instead of springing for the newest laptop or phone, check out their older models. Stores will likely give bigger discounts or freebies because they’re trying to get rid of old stocks. Check forums and product reviews to compare their features. Many times, you’ll find that the later models don’t offer significantly more power and performance than the older models.

Ask About Your Credit Card Rewards

Check if your card has special partnerships with stores or brands that entitle you to extra discounts, freebies, cashback, or double the reward points. If you frequently shop at a store, you can also ask their customer service which cards they partner with.

Mark Your Calendars

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a goldmine of deals and best for big-ticket or premium items like appliances, electronics, gadgets, etc. But go there with a plan: write down what you plan to buy (ex: laptop), a shortlist of products that you’re looking at, and then watch the online sites like a hawk.

If you’re going to a physical store to buy them, line up early—and maybe ask someone who can help you line up in another store in case the item is sold out.

Find Emergency Holiday Cash

Holiday shopping can already stretch our budget to the limit, so it can be devastating when a real and serious financial emergency happens at the same time. Your cash is already running low, and then suddenly a family member gets sick, or your car or house gets damaged and requires expensive repairs. How do you raise this kind of emergency money?

Your Loan Options: Payday Loans and Title Loans

Online Payday Loans

Payday loans are short-term loans where you borrow against your next paycheck. Your lender gives you a cash advance (typically $500 or below, depending on your income), and you pay the loan back at your next payday. To get this loan, you just need to show proof of employment and a government-issued ID.

Payday loans don’t require a high credit score or even any kind of credit history, and you don’t have to submit a lot of documents or go through a complicated application process. You can start your application online and can receive your money quickly.

Online Title Loans

If you need to borrow a larger amount of money, you can get online title loans. Like payday loans, these are short-term loans that are fast, simple to apply for, and don’t need any credit history. You just need to use your vehicle title as collateral. This can be any car, truck, motorcycle, SUV, or RV that is under your name. You can continue to use the car while you are paying off the loan.

How To Find and Apply For Payday Loans and Car Title Loans

The application process for these loans is simple and it looks like this:

• You fill out a short form found on our homepage and submit it for the loan type you want to apply for.
• You’ll receive a call from a representative who will tell you what you need to supply to secure your loan.
  • For title loans: Your ID, the title to your vehicle, and your vehicle for inspection.
  • For payday loans: Your ID, your most recent paystub, and a blank check to your bank account.
• A representative will review your information and you’ll find out whether or not you’re approved.
• You’ll receive the loan money!

When it comes to securing emergency money during the holidays, that process shouldn’t be more difficult than finding the best holiday deals for your budget. That’s why we’re here. We make your search for payday loans near me and title loans near me easy because we serve many locations throughout the state. So? What are you waiting for? Apply today.

Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.