How to Make Extra Money for Christmas (Without Stressing!)
Christmas in July? You bet! It’s never too early to start planning ahead—especially when it comes to budgeting for the holiday season. Today, I’m excited to share how I save extra money all year long to fund our Christmas shopping without dipping into our regular budget.
We love giving thoughtful gifts to our family and close friends, and starting early makes it so much more enjoyable. I typically begin shopping around October, since it sometimes takes a little time to find the perfect presents. But here’s the real secret…
When Do I Start Saving?
December—of the year before!
Yep, I start saving for next Christmas as soon as the current one wraps up. I collect funds throughout the year and use them in November to buy gifts. As soon as I spend it, I start the process all over again!
Let’s talk about the strategies I use to build that Christmas fund—and how you can, too!
The biggest thing I do to save money for Christmas is to use my credit cards that earn cash back. BEWARE I have very specific suggestions when selecting a credit card! I’ll be posting about that soon!
1. Use Cash-Back Credit Cards (Strategically!)
The biggest contributor to my Christmas fund is the cashback I earn from my credit cards. But don’t worry—I’m very intentional about this and will share a full post soon on choosing the right card. For now, here’s a quick breakdown:
- I use a card with 1.5% cash back for almost everything: gas, groceries, clothes, online orders, dining out, even coffee runs!
- My husband uses a card with 1% cash back for his purchases.
- We never carry a balance, so all that cashback is truly extra money.
By November, we typically have around $1,000 saved just from using our cards wisely—this covers about 90% of our Christmas shopping!
There are 5 apps I use all year long to save extra money. The amount of time this takes is maybe 5 minutes a week! Well worth it!
2. Use Cashback & Reward Apps
These apps take just a few minutes a week and add up fast! I use them to earn extra money for the remaining gifts and even holiday meals. Here are my five go-to apps:
#1 Ibotta
💰 Total earned: $1055.39
📍 Current balance (May): $59.65
Ibotta gives you cash back for everyday purchases—mainly groceries. I shop at Kroger and love combining Ibotta offers with Kroger cash back and digital coupons for extra savings.
Bonus Tip: Use Ibotta’s online shopping feature! I get 2% back from Chewy.com for pet supplies—same price, more cash back!
🧡 Invite friends & earn referral bonuses!
#2 Upside
💰 Total earned: $117.88
📍 Current balance: $21.35 (May)
Upside is amazing for saving on gas (which we all need these days!). I drive 56 miles a day and fill up once or twice a week—this app adds up quickly!
They also have offers for dining and groceries!
Simply check in at the gas station, pump your gas, and tap to claim.
No receipts, no hassle.
#3 Fetch
💰 Total redeemed: $550
📍 Current points: $150 in gift cards
Just scan your receipts and earn points that you can redeem for gift cards. I usually go for Amazon gift cards (hello, holiday shopping!), but there are plenty of other options.
📸 Snap, upload, and you’re done!
#4 Reciept Hog
💰 Total earned: $236
📍 Current coins: 6,261 ($25 but almost to the $40 level)
This was the first cash-back app I ever used—and I’m still going strong after five years! Upload receipts, earn coins, get bonus slot spins, and even enter sweepstakes.
🎯 My goal: cash out for a $40 gift card each year.
#5 Receipt Pal
💰 Current points: 14.500 ($50 gift card!)
Receipt Pal works similarly to Receipt Hog. You upload receipts to fill cards and earn points. Each card requires 4 receipts and earns 100 points. You can earn up to 500 points/week if you shop often.
Bonus: You can also link your email to scan digital receipts!
Join Receipt Pal here
🎁 Ready to Start Saving?
These simple strategies allow us to enjoy the holidays without financial stress—and I love knowing we’re giving meaningful gifts using money we earned little by little throughout the year.
Got any favorite apps or saving tips? I’d love to hear from you—drop them in the comments below!
