It seems like every year it’s getting harder and harder to save up extra cash in time for Christmas. This can cause a lot of stress on parents and grandparents because they want to create wonderful memories for their children and grandchildren. If your budget is tight this year, rest assured, your family can still have a magical Christmas.

These are simple ways to save money on Christmas gifts this year:

Start Putting Money Away Now

It’s never too late to start putting money aside for Christmas unless you’ve waited until Christmas Eve. Make it a habit to set $10 or $20 a week aside from your paycheck every week.

Though it seems like an insignificant amount of money, as you draw closer to the holidays, you’ll be surprised at how much it has added up. If you don’t think that you can muster up this much every week, maybe you could get a temporary part-time job to help you be able to set money aside for Christmas.

Make Sure You Price Check

This tip may take a little extra time and effort on your part, make sure that you price-check everything that you plan on purchasing for your loved ones. Failing to do your homework on those gift items could cost you some big bucks. And wouldn’t it be nice if you had some money left over when you were done shopping for your list? Don’t forget that you can also price check with items. Last week Target has a BOGO 50% off on certain toys. Well, Walmart had those selected toys on sale at the same time. Take your butt to customer service and nicely ask them to price check the item and THEN honor their sale. I did this previously also with a Macy’s deal at Target for my Nespresso maker!

Go Simple

Just because your kids got everything that they ever wanted for Christmas last year, doesn’t mean that this Christmas has to be the same. If things are tighter this year, choose to keep it simple. Maybe only get each of your children one big gift and then a couple of smaller presents. You can even remind them of what the Christmas season is really all about and that it’s better to give than to receive. This year I have also decided to max out at a certain  number. When you have multiple kids, things can easily rack up when you’re trying to make sure each get the same amount. It was easier this year to say each kid gets 10 things, 3 Santa items and 7 presents. Somehow, in my head, having a countdown of items like 4 left, 2 left, helped keep things simple.

Make a List of Who You’re Buying Gifts For

Did you know that when you fail to make a list of those you’re buying for, you tend to spend more money? You might be wondering how, but it’s true. That’s because when you’re out shopping for gifts, you tend to get into the Christmas spirit and start thinking about buying a small gift for your son or daughter’s school teacher, or for your neighbor down the street. Don’t make that mistake, and instead, make a list and check it twice. I LOVE the Santa’s Bag app! You can add people, tracking, budgets, everything. I have used it for years now. It’s totally free too btw!

Stick to Using Cash

While you may want your children to have the very best Christmas this year and think that your credit card is the only solution, don’t fall into that trap. Using a credit card for your Christmas shopping will not put you in a deeper hole financially, but you’ll also be paying more money on interest in the long run. That’s why sticking to cash is the best way to go.

Even if things have been tough with your finances this year, it’s still possible for your children to have a wonderful Christmas. These are a handful of clever ways to save money on gifts this Christmas. Can you think of any other ways to save money that would benefit a family this holiday season?