Holiday Shopping Hacks That Will Save You Money (or Just Make the Process More Fun!)

You've already made your list (and your budget) and checked it twice. But have you tried these sites to make it all a little easier?

Though there's nothing quite like the magic of the mall at Christmas — the thrill of the find! the abundance of glitter! — something about doing all your shopping online can make the process of buying gifts for your loved ones feel more like work. Add in the budget crunch that many are feeling this year, and you may be feeling more like the Grinch rather than Mariah Carey in a Santa suit.

But there are ways to remove some of the stress around holiday shopping — many of which require little to no effort. With one click, you can get cash returned to you instantly after a major purchase; apply all the discount codes on the internet to your cart without opening a single extra tab; or find great deals using resources you already have in your wallet, like credit card deals and hotel rewards points.

Read on for our favorite easy (and surprisingly fun) holiday shopping hacks that will channel that mall magic all over again.

Instantly find discounts and get money back

Before you add a single thing to your cart, start on a site that offers you instant cash back if you go to your preferred retailers through their website (such as Rakuten and RetailMeNot). Major stores you'd already be shopping anyway, including Macy's and Walmart, offer 10 to 15 percent back into your wallet, but pretty much every brand you can imagine is on these sites, and even smaller cash back amounts, like 2 or 3 percent, add up quickly.

Install a few helpful browser extensions

Want to make it even easier? Download a browser extension, like the ones from RetailMeNot, Honey or Capital One Shopping, which will instantly apply all the store's available discount codes to your cart and opt you into the cash back offers available to you. Or download the apps to get a similar experience when shopping in-person; Ibotta is beloved by grocery bargain hunters for allowing you to pick the in-store offers available, upload your receipt and get the cash back into your account.

(Also, if you're not as interested in cash back but are looking for some good karma, try a browser extension such as Goodbuy, which will point you towards similar products from small businesses to help share the shopping love.)

Check your credit card rewards

Don't delete that email you get each month from your credit card company with offers and rewards! This time of year might be a great time to opt in to some of the perks that come with the card. For example, American Express currently allows cardholders to opt in to receive $25 back on a $125 purchase at Zappos or $25 back on $125 spent at Drunk Elephant — perfect places to stock up on gifts for multiple people on your list.

Check your hotel rewards, too!

You're already addicted to booking staycations with your Bonvoy points, but did you know you can also score some incredible experiences using the points you've accrued? Taylor Swift fans already knew this thanks to the ticket sweepstakes run through Marriott Bonvoy Moments (and some even booked tour packages using points!) but it's a creative and unexpected way to treat someone you love to a great (and otherwise out-of-reach) gift.

Spend a fixed amount on packages that include food, art or entertainment (like using 40,000 Bonvoy points to get a suite at Disney on Ice at L.A.'s Crypto.com arena to make your kid's entire year, or spending 10,000 to get up close and personal with NFL Legends at the Marriott Bonvoy House during Super Bowl weekend), or bid everything you've got on a blowout experience like a luxury ski weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch (bidding starts at 200,000 points and goes live today) or a dinner with Nigella Lawson while staying at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, for 70,000 to start.

There are gorgeous, far-flung locales to experience, but also fun stuff in your own backyard (like tickets to NCAA basketball) — it's worth checking out to see if you can really spoil someone who deserves it this year, with points you've already got.

Try auction sites for surprising gifts

You already know to search eBay and Poshmark for great deals on often new-with-tags items, but have you considered looking through auctions to search for more things that are super-special? You'd be surprised at the bargains you can get, even on well-known sites like Sotheby's and Christie's, for art, decor, accessories and jewelry in great condition.

You can also take a look at sites such as CharityBuzz, where you can jump in on any charity auction to bid on a wide variety of items, often at great prices and for a good cause. (At the time of writing, you could get a Josh Brolin-signed Infinity Gauntlet for $400, a VIP meet-and-greet with Brothers Osborne that was still awaiting an opening bid, and a signed script from Titanic.)

Avoid shipping stress

Mailing any of your purchases this year? The United States Postal Service has a whole "Holiday Center" on their site that allows you to order free boxes and shipping supplies right to your door, print labels, schedule pickups and check against ideal deadlines to arrive on time. UPS also offers free festive shipping boxes to arrive at your door, and FedEx will allow you to hold packages until you're sure it won't spoil a surprise. Skipping one more long line is another way to maximize your holiday happiness!