12 Months To A FREE Christmas

Last Christmas, I participated in a Twitter forum on how to save money on gifts for Christmas. There were many great suggestions by different Twitter users from some of the best money saving blogs on the internet. Here are just a few of the suggestions:

1.  Start early!- This means the day after Christmas for many of our hard core savers.
2.  Organize an area in your home to store gifts as your acquire them. - I also like to keep a running list of what I have stored so that I can plan where the gifts will be given.
3. Keep an eye out for store ads and coupons. - I ask family and friends to save these for me so that I do not have to buy newpapers for the ads.
4. Install apps like the Retail Me Not app on your smartphone to have instant access to discounts when you are in a retail establishment. - Mine pops up whenever I pass my local mall. This is both good and bad.
5. Factor in shipping prices when shopping online. - That deal you are eyeing may not be as great as it sounds if shipping is too costly.

These were some great suggestions and they got me to thinking about 2014. I started wondering, "If I really planned the year well, how much money could I save on Christmas gifts?" Then I started my creative juices going and thought of all the ways I've saved money in the past by using clearance sales, regifting (yes, I'm fessing up now), Swagbucks giftcards, yard sale finds, handmade gifts, etc. I'm pretty frugal, but I do really try to find gifts that I believe each recipient would be happy to receive.

Then, ladies and gentlemen, the big idea hit me. Could I possibly get away with not spending anything on Christmas gifts? It sounded so crazy! How would I do it? Would my family think I didn't love them enough to spend actual cash on gifts? Would my gifts look like something your children bring home from school like macaroni necklaces and finger painted greeting cards? Or...could I just pull off the greatest Christmas miracle ever! (Obviously, this would not be the greatest Christmas miracle ever)

First, I needed a game plan. I've used several techniques in the past to receive free items (i.e. coupons, free trials, rewards programs, etc.) Now, I wanted to come up with a monthly goal and tracking system to help others do the same. I also plan to come up with creative gifts that I can give that include these free items. I had in mind gift items like first aid kits for home/car, grooming kits, and gift baskets. The more I thought about it, the more excited I got over this plan. I've outlined the rules I've given myself below:

1. Item must be FREE after rewards, coupons, or other promotional incentives. In my little brain, I believe an item is free if I am given equal or greater reward to the purchase price. (i.e. $10 rewards points for future purchase after purchasing a $10 item today) 
2. Item is FREE if I handcrafted it from materials I already owned prior to 2014. (I'm all about upcycling)
3. Item is FREE if I traded it from something I no longer want or services given. In other words...bartering.
4. Item is FREE if it was given as a gift and I regift.
5. I haven't decided yet if I will allow myself a small amount for shipping. I'll have to try this for a few months to see if this becomes an issue.

I started this plan last month and then needed to travel for a few weeks to help out my family members. I realized there was not a lot that I was going to be able to accomplish while I was away from home, but I was able to start the plan. I will be posting each month on different items I've acquired and how you can acquire them as well. I'll also let you know when I have a big fat FAIL. We've all been there. Hopefully, we can share with each other our successes and failures.

So far, here is my tally of free items:

$35 Gift Cards (rewards)
$40 Beauty Products (free trial)