15 money saving tips

The holiday season can be an extremely stressful time of the year, especially when it comes to money. Make every penny count this season by using these 15 money saving tips!

1. Agree to limit gift giving. While it may be fun to buy all your friends "small" gifts, they can all certainty add up. Talk to your friends about forgoing gifts this year if you're short on cash or set a spending limit.

2. Buy online! Web sites such as Ebay, Craigslist and Amazon offer unbeatable prices and keep you out of the hustle and bustle of the stores.

3. Drink less alcohol. While it may be the season to drink fancy, fruity drinks, they are expensive! If you must drink these drinks, make them at home. Alcohol in general is expensive, so limit consumption if you are on a budget!

4. Always take the bus. ECU and the town of Greenville provide buses that take students and residents to all the main stores in Greenville, including Walmart, the mall and Target. Save money on gas by taking the bus as much as possible!

5. Give homemade gifts. While you will definitely be saving money, giving homemade gifts is much more personal and they are usually fun to make! Some ideas for homemade gifts include photo collages, scrapbooks, ornaments, jewelry and baked goods. Regifting an item you were already given is always an option, too!

6. Take the time to clip coupons. While the coupons in the newspaper sometimes seem like small savings, they definitely add up!

7. Use online coupon Web sites. If clipping coupons isn't for you, check out user-submitted coupon Web sites such as www.retailmenot.com and www.dealtherapy.com. These Web sites offer huge savings to popular stores including American Eagle, Kohl's and Victoria's Secret.

8. Make your meals at home. Making your meals at home is fun and cheap. Use online recipe finders to find new and creative recipes. You will usually have leftovers to eat the next day, too!

9. Use food that you already have. After making homemade meals, there are often excess ingredients left over. Use Web sites such as www.allrecipes.com and www.foodnetwork.com to search for dishes based on the ingredients you have at home.

10. Compare prices. Web sites such as www.become.com and www.resellerratings.com allows users to easily compare prices before making purchases. You can also find product reviews on these sites to make sure you're buying quality products!

11. Shop at off-price retailers. Stores like T.J. Maxx, Ross and Marshalls offer brand name clothing, shoes, purses and home goods at steep discounts. All T.J. Maxx merchandise is claimed to be at least 20-60 percent below regular department and specialty store prices!

12. Rent Redbox movies. Staying home to watch a movie is obviously cheaper than going to the theater, but to save even more money, rent from Redbox. Redbox rents movies for $1 a night and can be found readily around Greenville, including Walmart and Walgreens.

13. Always buy generic brands. They are basically the same, but always cheaper.

14. Buy refurbished items. They are dramatically cheaper and are guaranteed to work. Before a refurbished item can be resold, manufacturers must fix and certify the product and then sell it at a discount!

15. Trade items instead of buying them. Swaptree.com allows users to list items they already have, and then shows the user what items they can receive for their listed items. This Web site is free to use and shipping of your new items is free as well!