This is an amazing idea!

My LPT for holiday budgeting is to save all my loyalty points (PC Optimum in Canada) to use when they are increased in value on certain weekends leading up to Christmas. Either I use the points to buy the gifts themselves or I use the points to buy groceries and the grocery money to buy gifts.

I’ve managed to give my kids a Nintendo Switch, PS4 and 2 tablets over the years by doing this religiously! Most years I can save $400-$500 worth of points, which goes a LONG away in the Christmas budget.

I recognize that I have been incredibly privileged to have been able to do this. I once had a friend remark that she couldn’t understand how I always had all this money for toys and stuff. I explained how little cash I actually spend on all of it, and it blew her mind!

Christmas is not worth going into debt over. Kids will love gifts from the Dollar Store as much as they love the expensive stuff!