It’s probably almost an oxymoron to discuss saving money during the holidays if your name is not Scrooge. We are all spending and spending. The trick is that since companies are aware of your incessant spending, they don't mind getting a bit cheaper and sharing some discounts and sales with you. But what happens when the holidays are over? The sharing season dries up faster than an icicle melts in the sun. But Yaya loves sharing (not to sound too much like Barney), so at least these tips might put some of that money back in your pocket.

image credit: DeviantArt user Heartpolkadotts

Easy Being Green
The holidays are gone but now starts with the tiny holidays and plethora of birthdays. Sometimes we can't catch a break. I started a calendar without a year designation just so I can keep track of birthdays. Facebook is helpful, but not everyone is on it! My other secret for giving gifts? Instead of wrapping paper, make all of your gift usable. Use a reusable bag as a wrapper and a necklace as the bow. This distinguishes your present and most definitely makes it memorable.

Get Cash Back
My favorite website is eBates.com. The website lists stores you can click over to and after your purchase you get cash back to your account. Four times a year you get a check in the mail for the total of your purchases. To make it clearer? Yaya likes her some Sephora. So she clicks over to eBates and clicks on Sephora from there (you can also make sure which coupons are active here). She makes her purchase and gets an e-mail a day or two later telling her that 4% of her purchase will be given to her as cash back.


Never Miss a Coupon
Make sure to check retailmenot.com and couponcabin.com for any and all coupons for your favorite online sites. I honestly hate to pay shipping, especially for the sites that are available in person as well. I also hate pressing submit somewhere and seeing a missed coupon code.


Open a New E-mail Account
If you’re smarter than me, you know that stores like to e-mail you thousands of times a day. But sometimes, the e-mails you get are priceless. Open a new e-mail account so that you can still get your personal e-mails without it saying that there are 1,000 unread e-mails. Make sure to follow the brands you like on Facebook and checking if they have a Twitter account as well.

What tips do you make use of to keep money in your pocket?