The holiday season is supposed to be a season of giving right? However this year it seems like it’s really a season that’s all about saving. Although most of us do want to give gifts to the people that we care about, we’re all looking into ways that we can do so at a bargain. After all, nobody has a lot of extra money to be throwing around right now even if we’d love to be as generous as in years past. Luckily your mobile phone can be a great tool for helping you to save money this holiday season.
Here’s a look at ten great ways that your mobile phone can save you money this Christmas:
1. Use mobile coupons. Mobile coupons are starting to become increasingly popular. They are similar to discount codes except that they can be used to make purchases both online and in certain stores. They’re terrific for people who always seem to forget their coupons when they head off to their store. They’re also great for those times when you see something and buy it on impulse because it makes a great Christmas gift for someone you know. Just pull up a coupon code for the item on your cell phone and automatically get savings at the point of sale.
2. Follow Christmas deals on Twitter. Your mobile phone is the best tool that you have for keeping up with Twitter. That’s because you can use it to stay updated on stuff no matter where you’re at. Add some holiday deal sites to your Twitter stream and check it by phone regularly so that you can make sure that you’re getting the best deals on everything this holiday season.
3. Use your phone to do comparison shopping. There are a variety of different ways that you can use your phone to find out if there’s a better deal on a similar item at a different store. The most common way is to download a barcode app which is available through every mobile app store that exists. However there are more traditional ways of using your phone to call for this information as well.
4. Use the Better Christmas List app. This one is an iPhone app so it won’t work for everyone although there are probably comparable phone apps for other smartphone users. It’s designed to easily show you who you have shopped for and who you still have left on your Christmas list. More importantly, it allows you to set a spending budget for the holidays and to track your spending on your phone to make sure that you don’t exceed your budget. Sticking to a budget helps a lot with holiday spending.
5. Send text messages instead of Christmas cards. There are a few people out there who still get really into choosing great Christmas cards and writing thoughtful sentiments on them. However most of us aren’t like that. We get generic cards and send something along the lines of “happy holidays”. Since you’re sending something generic anyway, skip the cost of cards and stamps and just send a happy holidays text instead. The thought is still there and you’ve spent a bit less money.
6. Let Christmas chatting and three-way calling replace travel this year. Sure it would be nice to travel to spend the holidays with your loved ones. However travel costs a lot of money during the holidays. Stay home instead and celebrate with your loved ones in real-time using your mobile phone. Get a few people who are in separate places to participate in a conference calls, use your phone to Skype with international loved ones or simply keep your on-device IM chats on all holiday season to get that feeling that you’re in better touch with people even though you aren’t there with them.
7. Skip the purchase of a Christmas music CD. If you love hearing holiday music at this time of year but don’t want to spend the money to buy it then your phone can help. Stream free music to your phone via the mobile web or use an app that gives you Christmas songs right on your device. This is a free or cheap way to feel the holiday spirit without spending holiday money.
8. Give mobile games and apps instead of stocking stuffers this year. Offer to pay for some mobile downloads for the people in your life that you normally have to buy stocking stuffers for. These gifts are a bit cheaper than what you stick in a stocking and they’re probably going to be more appreciated!
9. Read a mobile book this holiday season. Many people take their time off to do some fun reading that they’re normally too busy to do. Instead of going out and buying books to read, download affordable mobile books straight to your phone. Re-reading a Christmas Carol would be a good choice!
10. Sell your cell for Christmas cash. One way to save money is to make more money right? And one way to do that is to sell your mobile phone to get the money that you need for the holidays this year. Most people would consider this an extreme sacrifice since they use their mobile phones. However, if you’re in a pinch and aren’t sure how to cut back on costs for Christmas then selling your cell phone could be one option that is open to you.
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