How to Save Money Christmas Shopping

Today the practical tip side of me wants to post about one of my favorite subjects...  Shopping!  Many years ago, you would often find me in the mall with my oldest at least 1-2 times a month.  She has loved to shop with me, even when she was a baby in a stroller.  While I shopped the sales, I did not save as much as I could.   Flash forward to 2008. The economy crashed, and our financial situation changed. There was just not enough money for monthly mall visits.  We still needed things like groceries and clothes, since having three kids who grow like weeds still need to be fed and dressed. It was at that time that I began taking saving money seriously. I started using coupons while grocery shopping on almost every trip.  I planned ahead and made a list.  When we ate out, we ate at restaurants that had coupons and rewards programs like Fridays.  I used as many coupons as I could while shopping for clothes, shoes and more.  

My favorite store to shop for Christmas presents so far this year, has got to be Kohls.  One reason is because in the last month, they have basically given me $95 to shop, on top of their sales, and coupon savings.  When you have a Kohls charge card, you receive coupons sometimes as high as 30% in the mail every few weeks.  They also will occasionally send you $10 and $5 promo cards from time to time.  In October they sent me a  $10 promo code for my birthday.  It was good for the entire month of October. Also for  my birthday at the end of the month  I was sent 2 Kohls gift cards. (one from my dad, and one from my BF)  In October, Kohls  sent  me another $10 promo card for having a Kohls charge when they sent the monthly coupons. 

On Halloween, I took my daughter shopping so we could use our gift cards, and my promo cards.  I bought a few shirts, a pair of yoga pants, and a $5 cookbook. The total came to $56.61 after coupon and one of the $10 promos. I used one of my Kohls gift cards, and an older one that still had an $18.86 balance. I also earned $10 in Kohls cash.   I paid only $12.76 out of my pocket, and saved $65.59.  I gave my daughter my other $10 promo card and a 15% coupon.  She got a sweatshirt, and a pair of yoga pants for only $16.21. She had a $25 gift card, and still has a balance on it!

In November, I received another  $5 promo card, and a 30% off coupon. (score!)  I went to the Veterans Day sale, to use my other birthday gift card and to buy a few presents that were on sale that day. I was able to buy myself two sweaters, and a purse with my gift card and 30% coupon. I also bought a sweatshirt, a shirt and a stuffed hedgehog for Kara, a 2nd purse on clearance, and a shirt for both Kristina and Kyle. The 30% coupon alone knocked $40 off my total. After my gift card,  coupon, $5 promo and $10 Kohls cash, I paid only $50.78, and walked away with another $10 in Kohls cash.  (It would have been $20, but I was about $5 short of the next payout) 

Before my 30%  coupon expired, I took my oldest back to Kohls so she could  pick out a few Christmas presents. At almost 17, she is difficult to buy for when it comes to clothes.  She picked out a few things, and I picked up a few more presents. I saved another $45.71 with my coupon, and walked away with another $20 in Kohls cash. 

Last Friday they had several items I wanted to buy my son on sale during their Power Hours sale.  I bought him a Lions jersey, sleep pants, and a Detroit Tigers T shirt.  I then bought several things for Kara.  A dress for 55% off, a ruffled owl top, a dance shirt, three clearance tee shirts and a 3 pack of earrings. I found a yellow  tank top for only $3.60 (I love tanks!). I also picked up 5 Woodland ornaments for only $2.24 each for our Woodland themed tree that we will be putting up this weekend. After my $20 Kohls cash, and a 20% coupon, I spent only $88. 

I had not planned on buying anything else at Kohls for awhile, but I found out this morning that they have their Black Friday prices online NOW.  You can also save 15% off with their code BLACKFRI AND earn $15 per $50 spent.  There were a few deals that I could not pass up.  I am in need of  a new winter coat.  I bought my last one 7 or 8 years ago, and it is really starting to show wear.   The picture of the ZeroXposur  purple coat   in the picture above is $180 regular price. It is on sale now for only $59.99!   After the 15% coupon, the price is $50.99, which also means I will get another $15 in Kohls cash. Final price for the coat was $35.99 after coupons, and Kohls cash. A 80% savings!!   Another great deal is the boots in the picture.  A small piece of trivia.   I also LOVE boots. I wear the same size shoes as both of my girls. We can easily share shoes if needed. These super cute fringe boots are a girls size 5. They are normally $59.99, but are on  sale now for only $14.99. A girls size 5 converts to a woman's 7, which means at least one of us will be able to wear them. After the 15% coupon, they are only $12.74 before tax. Some of the other great deals I found are a sleep set for Kristina. It is normally $30.00 on sale for $9.99 ($8.50 after coupon), a Lions sweatshirt for Kyle normally $35, on sale for $18.99. ($16.14 after coupon), a woodland themed Big One plush throw normally $39.99 for kara, on sale for $8.99 ($7.64 after coupon) smaller fleece throws in different themes normally $13.99 for only $3.99 ($3.24 after coupon)  a Christmas themed throw rug for only $3.99 ($3.24 after coupon)   That total saved with the coupon code today was $19.34, bringing  the total to  just over $100 for a winter coat, boots and all the other items. Considering the coat was originally almost $200, I was very happy about that.  Full price what I bought today would have been $401.94. My savings for today on the bottom of the receipt $273.03

Out of curiosity, I added up the totals for the last month. I normally do not go shopping this many times in one month, but with my birthday and the holidays, it  has worked out that way. 

Money given to me by  Kohls  in Kohls cash and promo cards, $95

Money saved by using Kohls coupons on every visit $135.16

Money saved with sales prices on the bottom of the receipts $897.68. 

My final savings total was 70% off. 

If you want to save money too, I will be sharing other great deals that I find in the upcoming weeks.  Be sure to check my Deal and Coupons page  here on the blog , and Facebook page to keep up with the latest deals.