'Tis the Season

It’s December! In just a couple of weeks, the whole year will be over. I already know that the time will fly; work and school are speeding up, family events are all marked on the calendar, and the desire to give but also to just snuggle on the couch and do nothing is setting in. I almost have all my holiday shopping done, which is such a relief. I really lived it up online for Black Friday and Cyber Monday trying to get everything bought at a deal.

All year, I have been using the Ebates and Ibotta apps. Both apps give you cash back for shopping through them. Ibotta I use mainly for grocery shopping. They have certain items that, if bought, will give $0.25-$2.00 back. After I do my grocery shopping, I take of picture of my receipt. The cash back goes to the Ibotta account and can be transferred onto giftcards or to Paypal.  Earlier this year, I used my Ibotta money towards a new Fitbit, and I just I just used another cash back card to get part of Dylan’s Christmas gift. Ibotta also occasionally has websites that give cashback as well (instead of just grocery stores). For example, on Black Friday, there was 7% cash back available for Groupon purchases and 20% cashback on Joann’s purchases.

Ebates is another great app that I use constantly. This one is almost only for online shopping and is not grocery based like Ibotta. There are hundreds of websites that give cash back through Ebates. Instead of taking a picture of a receipt, I open the Ebates app, then chose the online store I want to shop. Ebates then connects me to that store’s website. When I make a purchase, Ebates calculates the cashback and every three months sends me a check in the mail. Ebates had huge cash back deals for Black Friday including 10% back at Lululemon and 3% at Best Buy. Etsy was even on Ebates, but I cannot remember what the cash back amount was. Ebates will also link any public discount codes or coupons that are available. I always check the app before I buy anything, online or in store.

I think all the savings and planning have made this holiday more enjoyable so far. I normally stress about getting the right gifts and just the overall craziness of the season, but this year I think I have been smarter about it. I started making notes about gift ideas near the start of 2017, so I have had plenty of options of what to buy. I also kept track of prices and availability to know right when to buy. I even stalked Priceline to no end to get Dylan and I’s tickets to Utah. The hard work has paid off. Who doesn’t enjoy a discount?

Now it’s just time to enjoy. I am ready for the Christmas music, the yummy smells, and the quality time. Today is the first day of December and I think I will spend the evening cuddled on the couch watching the Grinch. I may also pick up some of those yummy smelling cinnamon pine cones that have been tempting me since November. ‘Tis the Season.