It’s officially November, and that means holiday shopping is just around the corner! Not sure I’m ready for that yet. Regardless, here we are. I wanted to share somethingthat will help put some money back in your pockets this year.
Last December, I signed up for Ebates. A friend started talking about her experience with it. I’d heard of it. However, I never signed up because I expected there to be coupon clipping or hoops to jump through. I wasn’t interested in doing either. She promised me that neither were involved and talked me into signing up.
Since last December, I’ve earned $343 in cash back! See the screenshot below of my Ebates account. I have to say, she was right. I simply didmy normal online shoppingand the cash back slowly started adding up.
I am not a coupon clipper or a deal watcher. I just shop when I want to, where I want to. Here are the things I did to make Ebates work for me. Set it up once, and forget it. Literally! I have never once had to think about going to their site or logging in. I simply did my normal shopping and let them send me a check.
How to earn with Ebates:
Step 1: You need an account. Use my link and they will give you $10 just for signing up! (Full disclosure: I will also earn a referral fee from Ebates. It does not cost you anything, and you will have access to your own referral code for your friends/family to sign up.)
Step 2: Download the Chrome browser extension. This was my “set it and forget it” method. The Ebates logo will show up as a little square icon in the top right of your browser. Anytime you go to a website that has a current Ebates offer, it will alert you to activate the offer. You don’t even have to think about it. It just automatically does everything for you. The cashback shows up in your account as soon as it is verified.
Step 3: Optional– Download the Ebates App on your phone. There are some stores that also offer in-store coupons and cash back. This is a quick check before you check out. If they have an offer you simply have to pay with the credit card you link to your Ebates account. They will verify the purchase automatically and credit your account.
It really is very simple. Ebates pays the cash back on a quarterly basis. There is nothing you have to do (except meet their $5.01 minimum) to have a check cut and mailed to your house.
The way I look at it, if I’m already making the purchase I might as well get the extra cash back offer. The money adds up just a little at a time, but every little bit helps.Periodically they run specials like double cash back. You can even set your favorite stores to get alerts when they have deals.
Examples of How I Use Ebates:
- I like to do a lot of holiday shopping for my nieces at Target. They offer free shipping during the holidays (bonus). Ebates offers 2% cash back on everything I buy. On top of that, they currently have a free gift. Spend $50, get a free $10 gift card on dining and entertaining (expires 11/8/16). Who doesn’t easily spend $50 on a trip to Target?
- Back in May, I took a trip to Las Vegas for my best friend’s birthday. I booked my flight on Expedia.com(10% cash back), my room through Hotels.com (6% cash back), and my car rental through Hertz (2.5% cash back). It was a nice little surprise to have some savings I didn’t expect.
- I print all of my photos at Walgreens. It’s convenient to my drive every day. The photos are ready in 1-hour. The bonus is I now get 7% cash back by activating my Ebates offer.If you are a Snapfish user, the cash back goes up to 11%.
- Mother’s Day, I sent my Mom Shari’s Berries as part of her gift. This is something I’ve done a few years in a row. I was actually surprised when my notice popped up and told me there was a 4% cash back offer.
- Father’s Day, we have sent Omaha steaks to both my Dad and my Father-in-Law. Again, a cash back offer (3.5%).
- School & birthday shopping this year: Target (2%), Payless Shoes (3%), Old Navy (2%), Kohls (3%), JCPenny (normally 3%, currently 12%). It all adds up.
Sign up today to start saving. How do you save with Ebates?
FAQs
To that end, a growing number are choosing to spend less, with 28 percent planning to reduce their holiday budget compared to last year. More than one in three shoppers are now opting for experiences with loved ones over traditional gift exchanges, NerdWallet's 2023 holiday shopping report found.
What month do people spend the most money? ›
Americans spend an average of $430 billion on retail during December, at least $69 billion more than in any other month. Vertical bar chart showing the average monthly spending from 1992-2022.
How much money for Christmas gifts? ›
A realistic budget for Christmas gifts depends on individual financial circ*mstances. However, a common guideline is to allocate around 1-2% of your annual income for gifts.
How much does the average American spend on holiday shopping? ›
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average American plans to spend $826 in 2022 on Christmas gifts, food, and decorations. Of that $826 dollars, around 500 are spent on gifts for family members. The most popular of these gifts are clothing, toys, and gift cards.
Is it okay to not buy gifts for Christmas? ›
A: Family, believe it or not, will survive without a few presents from us. They can continue to shop and give presents, but you can simply tell them that you don't want to participate this year.
How to shop cheap for Christmas? ›
- Key takeaways. Consumers plan to spend an average of $832.84 on holiday gifts and festivities. ( ...
- Get started saving early for Christmas. ...
- Earn and use rewards. ...
- Buy now, pay later. ...
- Consider a gift exchange. ...
- Have a homemade Christmas. ...
- Gift an experience. ...
- The takeaway.
Average grocery cost per month for 1 person in a household
Considering the Thrifty and Liberal plan averages, the monthly grocery cost for an adult male falls between $275.63 and $434.33, while the average for an adult female ranges from $238.46 to $384.93.
How much money does the average American live on per day? ›
How much does the average person spend a day? The average person spends about $199.91 per day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This figure includes spending on housing, food, transportation, entertainment, clothing, healthcare, and other goods and services.
What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›
Those will become part of your budget. The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
How much do parents usually spend on Christmas per child? ›
In my family, for example, we set a budget and go from there—and many families do the same. According to a November 2022 study, most parents are budgeting $220 for each child—with the highest budgets for 7 to 12-year-olds, though 28% of those surveyed are trying to keep it below $100.
Biggest annual retail holidays
| Holiday | Period | Average spend (USD)* |
|---|
| Christmas | December | $1,000 per person |
| Back-to-school shopping | January – February and August – September | $890 per household |
| Black Friday | November | $430 per person |
| Lunar New Year | January – February | $300 per person |
16 more rowsDec 8, 2023
Average Christmas Spending Data
According to the latest data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans spend an average of $997.73 each Christmas. That's approximately the same as the median pre-tax weekly salary of $1,001.
How much does the average American spend at Walmart? ›
The average spending from a typical shopper comes in at around $54 per trip. Millions of shoppers visit Walmart weekly. 95% of American consumers visit Walmart at least twice per year.
Are people buying less for Christmas this year? ›
Just one in five say they'll buy more gifts for others this holiday season, compared to recent past years, and this is true even among higher-income earners and those who say they can afford to live comfortably. In contrast, more than a third say they will buy fewer gifts.
Is Christmas getting less popular? ›
In 2022, Statista reported that 85 percent of people in the United States stated they were joining in the festivities. That percentage is down from 2019 when Gallup reported that 93 percent of Americans said they celebrate Christmas.
Are Christmas sales up or down? ›
Dec 26 (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales rose 3.1% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, as shoppers looked for last-minute Christmas deals amid big promotions, a Mastercard report showed on Tuesday.
Is Christmas spending down this year? ›
Americans' holiday spending between November 1 and December 24 surged 3.1 percent from last year, but spending for the same period in 2022 was up more than 7 percent from 2021, according to a new report from Mastercard.
How many people are still paying off last Christmas? ›
About 25% of people are still paying off holiday debt from Christmas of 2022, that's according to a recent WalletHub survey. “They're still trying to pay those bills. We know with inflation and groceries and everything else we got going on the last thing we need is to look backwards,” said Kamel.
