Holiday Tips and a $50 GiftCard Giveaway!

...is for Holiday Time-Saving Tips! 

1. Road trip rules: Seasoned holiday road-travelers invest in a quick pass to whiz past hour-long lines at the tolls, 2) plot out where to get the cheapest gas along the way by using a “gas prices” feature on MapQuest, and 3) pre-pack energy-boosting snacks and beverages to avoid crowded rest stops and fast-food joints.

Viv's take: We absolutely use our toll quick pass whenever we are traveling through Orlando (which the Engineer does all the time, as he flies out of there for work) to save us from having to wade through the tourists at the toll booths. I feel for them, as those tolls can add up, and some of them are fumbling for change with horns honking, while we just breeze right through!  

2. Babysitting or playdate exchange: Gain kid-free time to make your way through your holiday to-do list by coordinating a playdate exchange with another family.

Viv's take: if you can get some parents together and create a babysitting co-op just for the holidays, you'll have a much easier time wrapping the kids' gifts without little eyes spying to see what you're up to!

3. Make sure it's in stock: Nothing wastes more time than driving from store-to-store in search of a specific item.  Do yourself a favor and call ahead or better yet check store inventory online before you leave home.  Many major e-retailers offer customers the convenience of purchasing items online and then picking them up in-store…some with express pick-up lines.

Viv's take: I do the majority of shopping online these days. Whenever possible, I try to have an item shipped to me or to my local store that way. Saves time!

4. Wrap it up: Socialize and wrap up your holiday duties by inviting your friends over to chat, nosh and yes, wrap gifts! Everyone brings a roll of wrapping paper, ribbons and other decorative elements to share with the group.  Also, watch for “free gift wrapping” promotions from online merchants.  Sometimes you may have to spend a certain amount to get the promotion to kick in, but it may be worth it given the time you’ll save on the backend.

Viv's take: This is a great idea, and one I haven't tried, the getting together with friends and having a--wait for it--wrap party. I do try to use online wrapping when I can, though I haven't found any free wrapping promotions.

5. Take advantage of online banking to save time! If you are a Bank of America customer, you can set up alerts to remind you to pay bills, check your balance and transfer money, all online. Check Bank of America's solutions center  for even more tips and information! And follow Bank of America on Twitter: @BofA_Tips.

Viv's take: I'm a Bank of America customer myself, and I do the majority of my banking online these days. They even have a mobile app for your phone. So now, I don't have to make a trip to the bank as often! If I do deposit a check at the bank, though, I can save time there, too, because I don't even have to fill out a deposit slip or put the check into an envelope. I just feed it into the ATM, and with their Deposit Image ATM I get *pictures of the checks deposited* as proof that they were received by the bank! 

And just for reading through these tips, 

you could win a $50 preloaded 

Bank of America giftcard!   

Initial Entry (required for all): Leave a comment below with one of your own tips for getting through the holidays with less stress. Or let me know which one of the above listed tips you think you will try this year!

Additional Entries:

• Follow @Cool Moms Rule and @BofA_Tips on Twitter, and tweet about this giveaway (3 entries!).
• Put our Holiday Gift Guide badge on your site (or let me know you already have!).
• Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page, blog, or a giveaway listing site (3 entries!).

Deadline for giveaway entries is Christmas Eve, December 24th, at midnight EST.

Good Luck!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Bank of America and received a Bank of America preloaded gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. 

This giveaway is hosted and fulfilled solely by Cool Moms Rule!