Bookmark this page
The holiday season brings heart-warming memories -- but it can also leave a hole in your wallet.
So Bankrate wants to play Santa and hand out some cash in a frugal holiday tips contest!
Tell us how you make the holidays special without overspending. Your frugal holiday tip can be about anything from cooking and gift-giving to decorating and entertaining.
We'll award a $500 grand prize to the person with best frugal, festive tip and a $250 second-place prize.
Bankrate judges will determine the grand prize winner based on the creativity of the frugal holiday tip. The second-place winner will be chosen at random.
Entering is easy, and there are five ways to do it. Some entry methods will earn you more chances to win than others.
You can enter each way, each day! Go ahead and get started:
- Pin an original, awesome frugal holiday tip onto any of your Pinterest boards. Tag @Bankrate and #frugfabholiday in the pin so we can repin it onto our holiday contest board. (Earn 10 entries.)
- Tweet a shout-out to someone you know who has mad holiday savings skills. Just use the "click to tweet" box above. Personalize the tweet by adding your friend's Twitter handle. (Earn 10 entries.)
- Comment on this blog post with a unique money-saving holiday tip. (Earn 10 entries.)
- Tweet this blog post. (Earn five entries.)
- Pin this blog post. (Earn five entries.)
Use the widget below to document your entry. The email you use to sign into the widget or to comment will be the one used to contact winners.
You can read up on the Official Rules here.
Good luck!
UPDATE -- Dec. 20, 2012: Thank you to everyone for participating! We had fun reading everyone's frugal holiday tips!
Our second place winner was Kenia from Texas.
Our grand prize winner was Susan from Florida. Her tip said:
"I buy unique items at ShopGoodwill.com. You never know what you will find AND it all goes to a great cause. Like other auction sites without the mark-ups."
Congratulations, ladies!
If your local bank or Credit Union has it, participate in the Christmas fund Saving account, even if you can put in 10-20 dollars a month, at the end of the year when it's time to start Shopping you have something to start with.
We are having a Pinterest inspired Christmas where our entire family, boys included have to make a fun crafty holiday gift instead of spending money on items rarely used anyway!
Don't waste money on a gift people don't want. When all else fails buy a gift card.
Even though it's annoying, signing up for a stores email or snail mail newsletter can lots of times bring savings or "special" deals!
Pay attention to your emails, sometimes there are special coupons, moving off, even free money from your favorite store's. especially around the beginning of black Friday.
Combine trips and save money on everything. Last minute runs always cost more.
check social media for deals on your favorite products and brands. Sometimes they have coupons also
Shop throughout the year and don't forget about thrift stores. You can find great deals there too.
I save all my coins in a year for one year and then go trade them in for black Friday money =]
I like to look for things year round so I don't have so much to buy at christmas