Did you know that 14.2% of adults in the U.S. sold personal possessions to pay for holiday gifts? And, even more surprising, 4.6% of U.S. adults took out a loan for holiday gift-giving! Those mind-blowing shopping stats come from ThatSweetGift’s survey of thousands of U.S. and U.K. shoppers — and they prompt me to lay down a budget shopping challenge that I hope you’ll accept.
This post may contain affiliate links*This year, stretch your holiday shopping dollars as far as possible with BOGO deals and gifts with purchase (GWP). Buy-one-get-one and GWP deals are popular this time of year, especially with beauty brands. You can capitalize on that trend to get more gifts for less. Read on to find out how.
How to use GWP and BOGO deals for gift shopping
You can work the BOGO and GWP offers as gifts in these ways:
- Buy strategically and end up with two gifts for the price of one. Use the two items as separate gifts.
- Seek out BOGOs and GWPs on beauty gift sets. You’ll end up with a bunch of smaller items that you can use as stocking stuffers or the components of a gift basket.
- Keep the freebies for yourself — but only if you would have purchased them anyway.
About those loyalty points
Loyalty rewards points provide another way to save. These require more organization, though, because it takes time to accrue points. My strategy is to earn the points this season, and then use them for holidays and birthdays next year. This works out well with three caveats:
- Know the expiration and redemption rules of your points program.
- Don’t get spread too thin. It’s tough to earn points in five different programs at once. Consolidate your purchases as much as possible so you’re earning max points in one or two programs.
- Be organized. It’s easy to forget that you have $50 worth of points sitting in an account somewhere.
Now, for a little shopping inspiration, here are five awesome BOGO and GWP deals you’ll want to check out.
1. Target BOGO 25% off beauty sets
Right now, Target is running a Buy 1, Get 1 25% off sale on select beauty gift sets. Choose from brush sets, lip sets, and more.
I like the Morphe 2 Party Ready Holiday Artistry Set for $16. It includes a nude pink lipstick, black mascara, and a gel eyeliner in a sparkly gold. Another fun and budget-friendly option is Freeman’s 8 Days of Dreamy Skin face mask kit for $10. You could easily split up the masks into different stockings and keep a couple for yourself.
Using the BOGO 25% off discount, you’d pay $23.50 plus tax for both sets.
2. Beauty Habit Duo Gift
Spend $65 at beautyhabit and you’ll receive these for free:
- R+Co Submarine Water Activated Encyme Exfoliating Shampoo (15 ml)
- Juliette Has a Gun Ego Stratis Eau de Parum (1.7ml)
Remember to add code BHDUO in checkout.
Now, to spend the required $65, I’d recommend buying a few different things. Maybe the Smith’s Rosebud Medly of Lip Balms for $18, FunnyFish Magnet Vase Cubes for $35, and Herbacin’s 5-piece skincare set for $20. You can divvy those items up into stocking stuffers and gift baskets. Your beauty-loving friends and family members will be thrilled.
See more BOGO and GWP deals from Beauty Habit here.
3. Essie gift with purchase at Ulta
Shop nail care at Ulta and you can earn yourself a free four-piece gift set. The set includes a handy pouch, nail strengthener, nail file, and tips on keeping your nails strong and healthy. Simply spend $20 on Essie polishes and the set is yours. This offer is available through November 26, 2022 only.
To reach your spending threshold, you could buy two full-size Essie polishes. You can’t have too many! Or, get the four-piece best sellers kit for $36. The included colors are a steel grey, soft pearl, pink , and a perfect holiday red.
4. Clinique GWP at Macy’s
We can always count on Macy’s and Clinique to bring us a nice gift with purchase deal. This year, you can get a seven-piece gift set with any $75 Clinique purchase. The gift set includes:
- SPF moisturizer
- Liquid face wash
- Eye treatment
- Black eyeliner
- Plum Pop lip color with primer
- Cosmetic bag
To hit your $75 purchase threshold, you could pick up multiple four-piece lip sets — they’re only $25 each. There’s also a 14-piece cosmetic set with eye shadow, lip color, mascara, and much more for $74. Another handy pick for that special guy in your life is the Clinique Men’s Skincare Set for $47. Shop all eligible products here.
5. Philosophy GWP at Macy’s
Also at Macy’s, you can get a free Philosophy Bath and Body Duo with any $49 Philosophy purchase. The duo includes multipurpose shampoo and shower gel plus firming body emulsion.
You can easily spend $49 on Philosophy products to gift. Top-rated picks include purity made simple moisturizer for $31 and Amazing Grace Shimmer Body Lotion for $29. The brand’s one-step facial cleansing cloths for $12 would also make fantastic stocking stuffers.
BOGO and GWP offers make for practical gifts, and we all need that this year. If you’ve run across any extraordinary BOGO or GWP offers, please share in the comments.
A final word: If you can’t save enough on these BOGO deals and other savings strategies to avoid borrowing money, then consider giving smiles, hugs, and cards instead of gifts. Your loved ones will understand.
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