One of our shoppers: Her holiday plan, and how we helped her budget.

Around the holiday season budgets get very tight and ours is no different. No one wants to be a “Scrooge” but sometimes it hard to make a paycheck stretch so we can get everything on the gift list. This holiday season my husband Ben and I decided we were going to try and reign in our spending. Because I am a mom, I still wanted our family to enjoy the season.

I did a couple of things to try and save some money. I was very meticulous about planning this year and in November I started making my list. I used Black Friday as an opportunity to get the kids a Wii on Sale, which is going to be their big present. For the teacher gifts, the kid's secret Santa's at school, stocking stuffers, toy drive gifts for both of the kids, the mail man, hostess gifts for the holidays, and all of the other assorted smaller presents I visited the Ganz warehouse sale, Tyco & Samco Toy Sale, and the Lindt Chocolate Warehouse. I am a careful shopper and I know what comparable retail prices are so at the warehouses I usually get great deals. My close friends and I are doing a cookie exchange, which is a great way to save money, so that expense is minimal. This being said, there are some things that don't go on sale, and not only do I have to get the kids presents for Christmas morning, but my parents are coming to open presents along with Ben's sister Karen, her husband Bill and their two girls. All of whom I have to get gifts for. My budget this year was very tight, I only had $550 for all of our holiday presents.

For most of our family gifts, I mystery shopped! I do a lot of Mystery Shopping with SQM Inc year round, but I especially love to Mystery Shop in November and December to get holiday gifts. I pick my favorite retail locations, do the shop, fill out my report, and SQM pays me a set reimbursement fee and shopper fee depending on the shop. This season I was able to buy $362.52 worth of items for only $97.53 all because of Mystery Shopping.

While buying presents and doing my millions of other holiday errands, I was able to get a few free fast food lunches by picking up Mystery Shops at malls that I knew I'd be going too. I got a few fine dining restaurant mystery shops to enjoy over the season, I took my sister in-law out for one, my husband out for another, and my best friend out for the last one.

Finally, my gift to my husband Ben and myself was also a Mystery Shop gift. We decided not to buy each other presents this year, and decided instead spend time together. We are going to be spending a romantic evening together going out for a five star restaurant and stay at a Luxury Hotel Downtown in Toronto in the month of January. I managed to get the five star hotel mystery shop, and a dinner out at a five star restaurant on the same night! The dinner is entirely covered: drinks, two entrees, two appetizers, and dessert. Meanwhile the hotel is half price! The entire affair is only going to cost us $73 after my shopper fees and reimbursement from SQM.

So how did I make out?

I bought all of the Wii stuff, such as the console and games for $208, all of the warehouse shopping came in at $148.22, the cookies will cost about $10, dinner and a hotel for Matt and I will be $73, and all of the assorted family gifts were $97.53 because of the mystery shops! My total spending was $536.75, thirteen dollars under my budget! The best part is, everyone is getting what is on their list, and I didn't break the bank to do it!

After all is said and done, planning really pays off when keeping a holiday budget.

Overall Sally got $362.52 worth of merchandise for $97.53 on retail Mystery Shops.

Sally had 3 free fast food meals in the months of November and December.

Sally enjoyed 3 free gourmet meals in the months of November and December.

Sally and her husband will be enjoying an evening out on the town for $73 using Mystery Shopping.

All of the things that made Sally's holiday even brighter were brought to her by Mystery Shopping with SQM!

*Disclaimer: Names have been changed to protect the identity of our mystery shopper