16 Holiday Shopping Tips to Maximize Your Budget [2024]

Some people live for holiday shopping, loving the feeling of making a list and checking it twice and the bustle and crowds that come with the season. Others find it a tedious and stressful task added to an already-long holiday to-do list as they try to find the perfect gift for gamers , fitness enthusiasts and everyone else on their list.

Regardless of whether you love to shop for gifts or want to avoid it like the Grinch avoids Whoville, use your AAA membership to save on gifts and check out these holiday shopping tips to help you get everything on your list without blowing your budget. 

1. Start Early

While Black Friday is considered the official start of the holiday shopping season, no rule says you can’t start shopping earlier.

If you’re buying something you know won’t need to be returned, like a trip, buy it during an after-holiday sale for the best deal. When going on a trip to a place like Disney World or Universal Studios , consider picking up a few souvenirs to give as holiday gifts with the news of your trip to any Mickey Mouse or Harry Potter fan on your list. You can also take advantage of Christmas in July deals for early-in-the-year savings.

Shopping early helps you spread out your gift-giving budget over multiple months. It also means you can worry about one less thing during the holiday season, when holiday parties, decorating and family gatherings often take over our social calendars. 

2. Make a List

Make a list of everyone you’d love to get a gift for this year for organized and successful holiday shopping. Then organize the list by priority — for example, move Mom and Dad to the top and your hairstylist to the bottom. It doesn’t mean you don’t give them a gift, but it will help you determine where to focus your budget once you set it.

Next to each person’s name, jot down potential gift ideas. If you’re stuck, start paying attention to what the person talks about. For example, if they mentioned that they love going to Hard Rock Cafe , get them a gift card to the restaurant.

Once you know what you’re getting everyone on your list, make notes about where and when you’ll get the gift. Some gifts can be purchased at any time of the year, while others may require you to purchase them at a specific time. For example, if you take your kid to a concert during the summer, buy some extra tour merchandise to give them during the holidays. 

3. Create a Shopping Budget

Having an idea of how much you’d like to spend, whether in total or per gift, will help you make smart shopping decisions. Begin by reviewing what you spent last year on holiday shopping for a realistic figure of what you can expect to spend this year. Compare this figure to your regular expenses and determine how much time you need to save the necessary amount or if you need to cut your budget this year. Based on this information, set your gift-giving budget. The rest of the holiday shopping tips on this list can help you stick to it!

Once you know your budget, revisit your list. If your budget is tight this year, consider switching up your traditions. Instead of getting gifts for everyone in the family, organize a Secret Santa instead. If your kids are older, discuss a family outing in place of individual gifts, or plan a family staycation instead of going on a trip.

Remember to also budget for any gift wrap supplies such as wrapping paper, gift tags or ribbon you might need, or for shipping items to people you won’t see in person. Use your AAA membership when you ship via UPS to save 5 percent.

4. Take Advantage of Price Matching

It may take extra time, but price matching can save you more than you think. Do a quick online search before you add it to your physical or online cart. If you’re in the store but can find it cheaper online, ask customer service if the store offers price matching to save you from shopping elsewhere. If they don’t, order the cheaper option.

Pro tip: When looking for cheaper options, check the store’s shipping fees. While it may cost less online, the shipping may increase the cost to equal or above what’s in the store.

5. Use Cashback and Coupon Websites

If you plan on doing the bulk of your shopping online this holiday season, consider using cashback websites such as Rakuten. 

Each cashback website is different, but they essentially all work the same — a store pays the cashback site a commission for a sale, which the cashback site passes to you. 

Some cashback sites require you to install an extension to your browser or shop in their app. Once you reach a certain cashback amount, you can withdraw the money via PayPal, receive a check or redeem the amount on additional purchases. 

You can also explore coupon websites or apps like Groupon or Honey to look for deals before making a purchase. Many cashback websites also offer coupons and other discounts, so check those, too!

6. Look for Free Shipping

Retailers know they can’t depend on in-store sales in 2024. To be competitive, they also need to offer deals in their online stores, and free shipping is a popular one. Sometimes, online stores will offer free shipping no matter the size of the order, while others will require you to reach a minimum before offering free shipping.

This is where having a list comes in handy — if you’re shopping on a site that requires a specific total to qualify for free shipping, try to order multiple items so you reach that limit. It might be worth shopping these sites first so you have the highest chance of reaching that total. 

Don’t forget to shop online early — the holidays are the busiest time of year for shipping companies, and winter weather can cause delivery delays. 

7. Watch Your (E and Snail) Mail

Keep an eye on your physical and digital mailboxes. Starting November 1, you’ll likely get flyers and newsletters alerting you to sales and discount coupons and codes. It’s a good idea to quickly search your email folder for the stores you plan to visit before you head out to see if there are any deals or discounts available and keep them handy when you checkout.

8. Leverage Loyalty Programs

Brand loyalty can pay off during holiday shopping. Many stores run special sales for members or credit card holders, allowing you to save money on your purchases or earn double rewards points. For example, a store may run a special sale where you save 20 percent if you use your store credit card. Shop during these special events to save money.

If your loyalty program is points-based and your points don’t expire, save them up over the year and redeem them on holiday gift purchases. Pay attention to any restrictions — some loyalty programs limit when and how you can redeem points.

9. Shop During Off-Peak Hours

If you’re braving the store to shop in person, avoid peak shopping times. Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, but the closer you get to the holidays, the busier stores get. In order to accommodate this, many stores offer extended holiday shopping hours.

To avoid crowds and long lines, it’s best to avoid shopping on weekends when more people are off work. Early weekday mornings are a good time to shop, as most people are busy getting their kids to school or daycare before heading to work on time. Afternoons can also be a good time — according to a study on Google Maps trends , the best time to shop is Monday around 3 p.m. after the lunch rush but before everyone is off work.

10. Take Advantage of Sales

There’s much debate about whether waiting for a Black Friday sale is worth it. For some, the chaos and crowds aren’t worth any discount, while others will brave any situation to save a few bucks. Fortunately, retailers have started offering some Black Friday discounts a week or two early, so pay attention to your favorite retailers’ sales flyers and emails.

For those looking to get a big head start, hit the after-holiday and Christmas in July sales or watch for semiannual sales at your favorite retailers. Look out for special sales days honoring a grand reopening of your favorite store or anniversary sales, which can occur anytime during the year. 

11. Use Price-Tracking Tools

Price-tracking tools are big budget-savers for holiday shopping. Prices on retail goods often fluctuate throughout the year, so with an app or browser extension like Camelcamelcamel or Honey, you can figure out the best time to purchase without running the data yourself.

If you want to avoid installing or signing up for anything, put the gifts you want in your online shopping cart and wait. Oftentimes, online stores will email you when a price change occurs for something in your cart. 

12. Group Gift

Consider giving group gifts. What this looks like will depend on your family or friend group, but it works as long as everyone is on the same page. For example, instead of you and your three adult siblings each buying Mom a gift, consider chipping in on a more expensive gift like a family photo session and ordering her favorite print as a canvas with a nice frame. 

Another group gift might be a family trip somewhere. Instead of everyone giving gifts, each person could contribute to the trip to a destination everyone agrees on.

13. Buy Discounted Gift Cards

Buying discounted gift cards is a favorite shopping strategy for many budget-savvy consumers. Warehouse sales locations will often sell bulk gift cards for cheaper than their value, or retail credit cards may offer a percentage off every purchase, including gift cards. 

Increase your savings by combining this strategy with others on this list. For example, if you can use your retailer credit card to save 10 percent on a $100 Visa or Mastercard gift card, you’ll save $10. Then use the gift card to purchase $100 worth of items on a cashback website that offers you 10 percent cashback, saving you another $10. You’ve bought $100 worth of gifts but only spent $80.

14. Redeem Credit Card Points or Cashback

The holidays are a great time to redeem the credit card points or cashback you’ve accumulated during the year. Just pay attention to any terms and conditions, such as expiration dates, blackout dates or other restrictions.

If you don’t have enough points or cashback to cover all your holiday shopping, rest easy knowing you’ll be earning cashback or points you can redeem for other purchases in the future. You may be paying money upfront for gifts now, but you’ll save on groceries or gas next month when you redeem the points or cashback.

15. DIY

As the old adage goes, it’s the thought that counts — so if you can’t afford gifts, consider DIY-ing what you can. Make cookies or other baked goods for people you’d like to give a gift to but can’t afford. Or, create coupons to give to a family member for free babysitting or other favors. 

If you plan far enough in advance, you can also make handcrafted gifts using your crafting skills. Knitting a new scarf or crocheting a new blanket means a lot, especially when it’s made with love specifically for the gift recipient.

16. Use Your AAA Membership

If you’re a AAA member, saving on your holiday shopping list is a breeze with the AAA Discounts & Rewards® program .

Check out these exclusive AAA members-only discounts:

• Save on Dell electronics and accessories .
• Save on select HP products .
• Save with Samsung .
• Save on tickets to sporting events, concerts and more with AAA Tickets .
• Save on personalized gifts at Personalization Mall .
• Save on gourmet treats on a variety of gift sites, including Harry & David , 1-800-Baskets and more.

Save on Holiday Gifts With Your AAA Membership

With the AAA Discounts & Rewards® program , you can save money on gifts for everyone on your list. The holidays can easily put a strain on any budget, but every penny saved with AAA’s discount partners can help make the holidays a little less stressful. 

Sign up for a membership today and learn how to save on everything from automotive to travel all year long.