New toys, tech, and other gifts are fun to receive during the holidays, but festive spending can quickly spiral. Add in travel, decorations, and delicious meals, and it’s easy to see why many households find themselves with thousands of dollars of holiday debt after the season has passed. A recent survey found that 52% of shoppers plan to spend less this year than in the last holiday season.
To help keep your budget on track, and not completely derail from holiday purchases, consider utilizing the following smart strategies. These helpful tips—from using deal-finder apps to carefully budgeting—can help you enjoy the holidays without waking up to debit in the new year.
Compare Prices and Use Coupon Apps
We’ve all fallen victim to an impulse buy at some point in our lives, but before you purchase that “must-have” new gadget, take a minute to compare prices and snag coupons. For online shopping, install browser extensions or apps like PayPal Honey. They automatically apply coupon codes, track price drops, and compare prices on websites like Amazon. When shopping in stores, consider trying out barcode-scanning apps, like ShopSavvy, to check if the gift you’re interested in buying is less expensive somewhere else. Also, you may want to consider cash-back and coupon apps like Ibotta, which pay cash back on eligible purchases. Portals like Rakuten or online airline shopping portals give bonus rewards when you shop through them, as well.
These simple tools not only ensure you’re getting the best deal before you checkout but also let you read customer reviews to help you determine if the gift you’re eyeing is worth buying.
Redeem Rewards and Get Strategic with Credit Card Usage
You don’t have to max out your credit card to pay for holiday expenses. Keep more money in your wallet by accumulating and redeeming credit card reward points throughout the year, to help pay for gifts or travel. For larger purchases, a credit card with a 0% Introductory APR like the Logix Platinum Rewards Mastercard® or the World Rewards Mastercard® can help you spread out payments without interest for the first 6 months your account is open.* After that your variable APR will be 16.49% to 17.99%, based on your creditworthiness for the World Rewards Mastercard®, and a variable APR of 11.99% to 17.99%, based on creditworthiness for the Platinum Mastercard® (rates accurate as of 12/15/2025 and are subject to change. Click here to see current rates. Just be sure to pay it off before the introductory rate ends.
With the Logix Word Rewards Mastercard®, you can earn up to 3 reward points for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases**. Shop via rewards portals, and take advantage of exclusive offers on popular brands, premium travel offers, or even cash back rewards. In short, treat your credit cards as smart tools: use points and cash back to save, but only charge what you’re able to repay on time.
Book Travel Early and Smart
Travel is often one of the season’s biggest expenses, so planning ahead is key. Aim to book holiday flights about 1-2 months before traveling. Experts advise booking Thanksgiving and Christmas flights by the end of October to score the best fares. In fact, Google data shows plane ticket prices for Christmas/New Year’s trips tend to be lowest about 51 days before departure (roughly late October), and Thanksgiving fares bottom out ~35 days before the holiday. If you wait too long, prices spike.
Additionally, consider flying on off-peak days. Flights on the Monday or Tuesday before the holiday, or even flying on the holiday itself, tend to be discounted, and less expensive than the Wednesday before or the weekend rush. Take advantage of flight-comparison sites like Google Flights, Kayak, or Skyscanner, and set price alerts so you can snag a deal as soon as the price drops.
Stick to a Budget and Holiday Shopping List
While giving gifts to our friends and family love is fun, holiday spending can quickly get out of hand. Impulse buys are tempting, so give yourself guardrails by making a holiday gift list and budget before you start shopping. Write down who you’ll buy for and how much you can spend on each person on your list. This simple plan helps you resist overspending and surprises at checkout.
Get creative with gifts. Remember that some of the most thoughtful and heartfelt gifts often cost little-to-no money. Think about the hobbies and interests of your family and friends, to come up with personalized gift ideas, such as:
- Baked goods in a festive holiday tin
- If you’re artsy or crafty, consider DIY gifts
- Mason jars filled with ingredients for hot chocolate, baking mixes, or soup
- Homemade coupon books offering chores, babysitting, or other helpful tasks
You can also limit gift-giving by doing a Secret Santa or drawing names for a gift exchange with friends and family, so you buy fewer presents. Shopping secondhand or on-sale items can also stretch your dollars farther. In one budgeting guide, experts suggest thrifting and letting each person buy for only one friend as ways to cut costs.
Spend (and Stress) Less Over the Holidays
By using smart tips like comparing prices, earning Credit Card rewards, and budgeting carefully, you can enjoy the magic of the holidays without the post-holiday financial shock and hangover. Spend mindfully now, and you’ll wake up to a more joyous and debt-free start to the new year.
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