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Money-Saving Holiday Survival Guide

Best days to shop, affordable entertaining ideas, budget travel tips, and more money-saving advice for getting through the holidays with your wallet—and your sanity—intact.

Shopping Tips


Instead of aimlessly buying gifts throughout the season (a major wallet drain), use this shopping guide, chock-full of surprising strategies, to cross everything off your list in a single day.

Christmas gift with red bow

Best Days for Holiday Online Shopping

Consult this handy calendar of what gifts to purchase, when—courtesy of consumer-retail experts.
Photo: EllenMoran/Getty Images

9 Money-Saving Travel Tips 

Don't let fees and expensive airport meals drain your budget this holiday, find out how to save instead. 
Photo: Eric Anthony Johnson/Getty Images

How to Save Money on Groceries

An anonymous grocery-store manager shares the secrets to lowering your food bill.
Photo: Papercut.fr

Save on Baggage Fees on Your Return Flight 

If you’re among the thousands traveling this holiday season, use these simple tips to make sure you reach your destination without getting hit with costly baggage fees.
Photo: Image Source/Getty Images
Christmas gift with red bow
Santa hat poking out of hard-shell suitcase
Illustration of shoppers outside a store called Shop Mart
Stack of orange suitcases

Budgeting Advice

book with picture of christmas tree

How Do You Stay on a Budget During the Holidays?
Real Simple readers offer small-budget Christmas-gift ideas and other insights on cheap holidays.

Wrapped holiday gifts

Holiday Gift Budget Worksheet
Create a debt-defying holiday shopping plan.

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Crew 8 Checkpoint-Friendly Brief and 20-inch Rollaboard luggage set

Holiday Carry-On Luggage Restrictions Checklist

Make sure to place the following TSA-banned holiday trappings in your checked luggage—or leave them at home.

  • Cranberry sauce
  • Creamy dips and spreads, including soft cheeses and peanut butter
  • Gift baskets with food items

View The Entire Checklist

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