I love shopping. I don’t shop for much more than essentials because I just don’t have the funds. The shopping I do beyond groceries and household supplies is usually for the children. I know I’m not alone in this. I think all parents find that they shop for the kids quite a bit.
Christmas just ended. I’m very fortunate that I don’t have any bills left over and Christmas is paid for. Christmas added to my spending, though. Whenever I need to shop, especially if it’s an occasion where I need to shop more than I normally might, I look for ways to save or get cash back. Last Christmas when we were still doing the family gift exchange, I bought a number of gifts through ebates or my bank’s Add It Up program. Any little bit helps.
This year I shopped a little differently. I created Christmas lists for both girls and myself using Amazon Wish Lists and my husband did the same. It was easy and simple. Amazon has most everything and the list put it all in one place. I was even able to add a knife sharpener at Williams Sonoma to my Amazon list. I didn’t shop around this year, but last year it was cheaper to buy through Amazon than earn a couple percent cash back at merchants through the other shopping sites.
I took advantage of Toys R Us and Babies R Us too. Not only did TRU and BRU have lots of great deals, but they also have Rewards R Us. Shoppers using the RUR card October 31 through Christmas Eve got ten-percent back, up to $50, on purchases. This reward was so easy. I checked my reward today and I earned $32. I almost wish I’d bought more so a $50 check would arrive in a few weeks.