My daughter and I are not the type of people that go bananas about the commercial chaos of Christmas especially not for the ‘hot’ toys. She loves secondhand toys usually as much or more than new. And, I like it that way because a little less commercialism in the world is okay by me.
However, she loves monkeys, and the Hasbro’s FurReal Friends Cuddles, My Giggly Monkey commercial has her intrigued. So, I caved and bought her a new toy…
By combining a few methods of frugality, as well as finding a great starting price for Cuddles, My Giggly Monkey, I was able to purchase her as a Christmas present for virtually $3.19 cash (plus tax)!
Also, you can use these tips to buy other FurReal Friends toys or other Christmas purchases more inexpensively this year, too.
Temporary Price Cut
As of November 2013, Hasbro’s FurReal Friends Cuddles, My Giggly Monkey was $49.99 at Target. (Wal-Mart was at that price for a while and just went back up to $59.) NOTE: As of Dec. 3,, 2013, Target has the monkey in stores for $49.49. Most other stores are selling her in the $60-$80 range, and she’s certainly not cheap on E-bay either.
Store Coupon
I used a $5 Furreal Friends coupon from Target. (Try the link to see if the coupon is still available for your purchase. It was for $5 off any FurReal Friends over $19.)
So, that takes the monkey down to $44.99 (minus tax). If you’re a Target employee, perhaps you even get a discount on your purchases.
If you stop here, you’ve still gotten a great deal on Cuddles. But, if you dare, try to bring the price lower…
Supplementing with Swagbucks
As a Swagbucks member, an online loyalty rewards site, I’ve recently made $15 in gift cards by watching videos, searching the web, using printable coupons and using the shop and earn tab while I’ve bought other Christmas presents. You may earn less or even more than me. (Since my start there almost a year ago, I’ve made more than $70 in gift cards!)
That means I only needed about $30.99 (minus tax) to come up with in regard to the remaining balance.
Getting Rewarded for Shopping
If you’re a member of Swagbucks, go to the Shop and Earn tab. Target online will give you so many Swagbucks per dollar spent. (Roughly, one Swagbuck equals one cent since you need 500 bucks to earn a $5 Target gift card.) At the time of my purchase, Swagbucks were four per $1 spent at Target (this may change at any time). You can use those new Swagbucks point earnings for rewards like MORE gift cards.
Hey, it’s like you just got paid $1.80 ($45 after coupon price at Target x 4 bucks per dollar) to buy the toy!
Other Cash Back Ideas
You may be able to earn cash back on purchases at other rebate sites like Ebates, too, if you’re not a Swagbucks member. Also, if you put the monkey purchase on your rewards credit card, you may be able to get back a little something, too, or earn rewards toward airline tickets, etc.
Raising Money by Selling Older FurReal Friends
In my case, I was fortunate enough to find an older, 16″ FurReal Friends cat at a second-hand store. She was working, clean and, overall, in great shape. (Tip: In the case of used clothes or stuffed/furry animals, keep your purchases tied up in a plastic bag as you check out of the store. Then, consider keeping them outside in freezing weather for a time to reduce or obliterate the chances of bringing things like bed bugs into your home.)
I sold the cat on E-Bay, and made $25 in profit toward the purchase of the giggly monkey. Score!
I realize that finding an inexpensive FurReal Friends or any other type of toy/doll worth money in a secondhand shop will not happen to everyone. However, if your child is really set on getting Cuddles, you may suggest that they give up some of their older FurReal friends or other toys if they don’t play with them anymore.
If you don’t want to sell on Ebay, try Craigslist, local Facebook pages (type in your city, state or even county’s name to find garage sales/general sales/sweep and swap sites for your area) or put a flyer on store bulletin boards. This will also help your older child have a little more stake in the toy as they’ll be getting a little business lesson in the process.
If you scoff at the idea of using your child’s profits to put toward their own gift, put their money away in their piggy banks. Or, if you’re not that frugal, donate the toys to a toy drive or to someone in need. At least you’ll be saving room by getting rid of an item they don’t play with before something new arrives. And, hopefully, that older toy will get a lot of love again elsewhere.
Overview
Temporary $49.99 purchase price
– $5 store coupon
– $15 gift cards from Swagbucks
– $25 sale profit of older FurReal Friends toy
= $4.99 for Cuddles
PLUS bonus $1.80 for a shopping reward!
So, it’s pretty much like I got Cuddles for $3.19 cash (plus tax) by combining methods of frugality.
Comment below! How did you do and what did you go to save money on Cuddles or other great holiday gifts?
Disclosures: All of the prices mentioned in this article may change at any time. Methods may vary or may not work for everyone. I do not get paid for any recommendations of products, stores or services in this article. If you save money on Cuddles, I just ask that you comment below and tell me how you did it. Happy saving!
