Looking to save money on Christmas this year? Me too!
It has taken me a few years to actually download any ‘money-saving’ apps or even clip a coupon. Growing up as a millennial in the mix of in-store and online shopping, I saw my mom clipping coupons and writing out her grocery list with an estimated total before we’d leave the house to hit the stores.
She’d have mapped out the entire budget almost to the dollar before we even entered a store. And, she always paid in cash.
Now, with credit cards removing us from the look, feel, and pain of giving away our hard earned money, it becomes easier and easier to overspend and wonder “where the heck did all my money go?”
Still to this day my mom maps out her plan before she enters a store. She once packed a cart full of stuff and when the woman at the checkout counter said, “that will be 67 cents,” my husband and I were flabbergasted. How did she do that?
Well, there are many tricks to the trade and, some of it is luck, but you can’t get lucky if you aren’t looking for the opportunity.
Here are some ways I save a few extra dollars on everyday shopping like groceries and necessities. Then, how I put some of those savings towards Christmas shopping so I don’t break out that credit card I could never seem to pay off after the holiday season.
1. Save Money on Christmas and Download the Fluz App
Please download the Fluz app, right now! It gives you instant cashback!
The way it works is you use your bank account or a credit card – extra bonus if it is a credit card with cashback or rewards – to purchase a gift card for the store you are shopping at.
You can purchase a fixed amount like $25, $50, $100 etc. or choose the exact amount of your purchase. There will be a cashback percentage next to the store you choose and also next to the type of payment you’ll be using to purchase the gift card.
Online shopping: All you do is choose the amount you’d like on the gift card, take the code that is generated and apply it to your order just like you would any gift card.
In-store shopping: If I have an estimated amount that I think I will spend while out shopping, I’ll usually get the gift card ahead of time at a fixed amount, but sometimes I’ll do it right at the cash register! You just hop into the app, purchase a gift card for the store you are shopping at, and it will generate a bar code you can scan just like a regular gift card.
Recently, I was in Michael’s and ran into a clearance offer I couldn’t pass up. I used the self checkout, which was new to me! At the checkout I scanned all my items, used the screen to log into my Michael’s account, selected all my coupons and rewards and then, I had a thought. Is Michael’s a store on Fluz? I pulled up the app on my phone and it is!
I was able to type in the exact amount of my purchase price and get instant cashback on that purchase!
Recap: Clearance deal + coupon + reward + cashback. I got two whole bags full for $12 plus cashback!
Fluz can be used at plenty of stores for plenty of things. My personal top stores are Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, Airbnb, Wayfair, Lowes, and Michael’s. But you can earn cash back at IKEA, Starbucks, Dunkin, DoorDash, Etsy, Xbox, and even gas stations like Wawa, Chevron, and Speedway.
Click this link to start earning cash back on your first gift card purchase!
2. The Krazy Coupon Lady App
This is my go-to app before I do ANY shopping! I pop in here weekly, at least, and have found some amazing deals that caused me to take the plunge on a few items I couldn’t fathom paying full price for.
For example: I’ve been thinking about a steam mop, an air purifier and a new vacuum. Well lucky for me, I logged in one day and there was a sale and 2 coupons on the air purifier I’d been eyeing and promo codes for a vacuum and steam mop! For all three, the original prices would have totaled at $304.97. With the sale and the promo codes from Krazy Coupon Lady, I only spent $139.97 in total for all three!
It is August as I write this post and I’ve already completed half of my Christmas shopping for this year!
Great deals on thermal socks for my New York family, toys for all the nieces and nephews, and Alabama Crimson tide gear for my husband and daughter.
It is also great for moms and dads. Like, check out this coupon for diapers!
Sign up for a free account at The Krazy Coupon Lady here.
3. Fetch Rewards App
This is an after-purchase app. You can take a picture of any receipt and upload it to the app and get points. There is also a feature that allows you to connect the Fetch Rewards app with online shopping accounts like Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart. Link to these accounts, and more, to have it scan for online receipts.
How easy is that?
You’ll get points for each uploaded receipt from shopping, dining, and entertainment but also individual items or brands if they qualify.
This is the best part – take the points you’ve stocked up and redeem them for gift cards!
Refer friends to get a bonus and even play games to earn extra points. Click here to start earning points and learn all of the ways to earn Fetch Rewards! Use my referral code: Q7N5GD to get 2,000 points instantly!
4. Evidation App
Do you wear a FitBit, Garmin, or AppleWatch? Or maybe you just carry your smartphone with you in your pocket throughout the day?
Evidation is a research app using real data to influence better health outcomes. It allows you to earn points toward rewards just by tracking your daily steps and exercise, nightly sleep, nutrition or vitals.
All you need to do is connect your third party apps like the ones stated above or others like MyFitnessPal, Apple Health and Oura.
My favorite part about this app is that you ‘set it and forget it!’ About once a month I log in to check on my points and fill out ‘cards.’ If you want to get lots of points, really fast, then filling out these short surveys or reading short articles called ‘cards’ is a great way to get you there!
Evidation’s rewards can be redeemed once you’ve reached 10,000 points. You can redeem as a gift card, Paypal transfer, bank deposit, prepaid Visa, or a donation to a charity.
5. Ibotta and Rakuten
These are cashback apps that also have a browser extension for people like me who prefer to online shop from their computers.
These apps are super easy to use!
Ibotta
There are many ways to earn with Ibotta. You can upload receipts for shopping in store, add offers to your account like a specific product so that when you purchase it, you get the allotted points for it, and even earn points for ordering your groceries online or purchasing gift cards.
Use my referral code: bfxdxwd to instantly get $5 in rewards
Rakuten
Very similar to Ibotta, Rakuten offers you cashback for shopping within their app or browser extension and also in store. The cool thing with them is you can link a card and then shop in store and not have to upload your receipt. How easy is that?
Get a $30 bonus by using my referral link at Rakuten.
6. Stashing These Deals To Save Money On Christmas Shopping
I always stash my savings! That means, even when my points on Evidation, or my rewards on Fetch, or my cashback with Fluz or Ibotta/ Rakuten are ready to redeem – I DON’T REDEEM THEM! I save them until about October or November and use them towards Christmas shopping purchases.
We have all had those Christmases where the price of gifts really sneaks up on us. Well, not anymore!
I always start shopping deals early, around August, and keep those gifts in a bin with a lid in my garage labeled something lame like ‘partially completed knitting projects’ that my family would never touch. You might laugh, but it works!
7. Stacking These Deals to Save Money NOW
Here is how I like to stack these deals:
- I always find a quiet place so I don’t get distracted. I find that this process can seem like it takes forever if I keep getting interrupted. But, if I’m alone I can just get through it pretty quickly.
- Visit the Krazy Coupon Lady app and find your deals.
- Use the Ibotta (or Rakuten, whichever is more cashback) browser extension or app to start your shopping.
- Shop!
- Apply all of your coupon or promo codes.
- Go to Fluz App and purchase your gift card for the exact amount of your purchase.
- Apply the gift card to the purchase and checkout.
- Snap a pic of the receipt and upload it to Fetch Rewards.
- Money saved! And, you just got cashback on Ibotta or Rakuten, cashback on Fluz, points on Fetch, and saved money upfront with Krazy Coupon Lady. Go you!
*I’ve heard of some people not receiving cashback from Ibotta and Rakuten when using a gift card for the total purchase. I haven’t had this happen to me while online shopping or by uploading a receipt to Ibotta, but be on the lookout! Usually the cashback from Fluz is more anyway so I wouldn’t worry too much about it but I just wanted you to be aware!
Time To Save Money On Christmas Shopping in 2025
Until just a few years ago, I had never taken a budget seriously. Since I haven’t had to balance a checkbook since I was in my early 20’s, I’ve just been swiping and moving on with my day. It wasn’t until we bought our first house in 2023 that we finally sat down and tried to figure out how we were possibly spending so much.
Now, using a spreadsheet (nerd alert) to update our budget weekly and using the techniques explained above, we are more aware of how and where we are spending our hard earned money!
I hope these money saving tips help you as much as they have helped my family. 🙂