Fabulous Frugal Finds

Make it the Best. Holiday. Ever.

The holiday season is officially here, whether you count it as the day the calendar turns to December, the first snowfall, or the first ‘big sale day’ of the season there’s no mistake – ‘tis the season for ALL THE THINGS!

It’s no wonder then that, for many, the holiday season can also be the most stressful due to the sheer number of events to attend and loved ones to purchase the perfect gift for. The best way to help alleviate stress in any situation applies to the holiday season as well – have a plan! Walking into a mall or opening your laptop without a focus, clear road map, and of course budget, can all lead to even more stress. First, just like Santa, make a list and check it twice. Determine what gift would be best for which person and make a plan to find it, or something in that category if you can’t narrow it down, at a great price.

Of course, free is always the best price and this frugal mom highly endorses free. It’s entirely possible to achieve too if you utilize rewards programs in a smart and focused way!

Take RBC Rewards, for example. By redeeming RBC Rewards points for gift cards or merchandise from your favourite retailers including Best Buy and Apple, RBC Rewards can help save you money and take the stress out of holiday shopping. Making this even better, you don’t have to leave your pajamas and slippers and deal with traffic and crowds because you can shop from your own home eating shortbread and watching yet another holiday movie (she always picks the good guy in the end, he didn’t know she was right under his nose the whole time and now they’re in love forever, the end.)

The planning aspect here is, of course, to earn RBC Rewards by using your RBC Visa for your day-to-day purchases and then paying it off with cash monthly. I use my RBC Visa for everything from a quick lunch to booking our winter vacation, and the points add up quickly! Then, you can log into your RBC Rewards account online or using the mobile app and quickly see your point balance at any time. Shopping is the fun part, with over 200 retailers offering great gift ideas at www.rbcrewards.com

While visiting the site just this week, I not only discovered that RBC Rewards has Fingerlings for kids (probably THE hottest toy this year and increasingly hard to find), but I can also use my RBC Rewards points to purchase Disney Gift Cards to use at Disneyland Parks later this winter! That will be a huge help to our family budget and a great reward for me for my diligent rewards-points-planning. They’re a perfect stocking stuffer too!

I visited Global News Morning Regina this week to share more of my frugal shopping strategies including how RBC Rewards can help people have the Best. Holiday. Ever. You can watch the full clip above!

Happy holiday shopping to you, whether you’re venturing out in the crowds or sitting at home with a cup of coffee. I hope sharing this has encouraged you to check your rewards balance and see how you can elevate your gift-giving this season! Or, perhaps this will inspire you to create a strategy to optimize your rewards to use next holiday too!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by RBC. All expressed opinions and experiences are my own words.

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