Isn’t it funny that you spend the entire year saving and planning your finances only to splurge during the holiday season? The pressures of getting the perfect gift for everyone can push you a little over the edge. Forcing you to go overboard and into a shopping frenzy!
However, with a smart holiday shopping strategy, you can balance between getting the best gifts and saving a penny. Whether looking for flash sales online or prioritizing holiday discounts, here are six tips to make your holiday shopping hassle-free, fun, and budget-friendly.
1. Create and Stick to A Budget.
If you want your financial life to survive this holiday season, create a budget and stick to it. But first, you need a holiday plan. Are you travelling, and for how long? How much money do you anticipate spending during this time? Does everyone get a gift, and what is your purchasing limit?
If you have a plan, it will be easier to create a budget and stick to it. A holiday spending budget will help you track how much you have spent, from the big things to the nitty gritty. Please don’t underestimate the little things either; you will be amazed at how quickly they add up.
Budgeting and being frugal during the holiday season is not a jail-free card for being cheap. Nobody likes a cheap stake. Spending your money is part of expressing love during the festive season. So just set a budget and let it guide you.
2. Make A List.
A shopping list is like a guiding light in a dark maze, especially during the holiday season. Therefore, list all the people you would like to gift and the items they would appreciate.
Knowing precisely what you want to buy will keep you from being sidetracked by every shiny item on the shelf. And with a comprehensive list, you’ll buy only the things you need, saving you a lot of money in the long run.
Besides, you can use the list to compare bargains at different shopping malls and get value for your money.
3. Shop in Advance.
The holiday season is probably the worst time to go shopping. Ironically, we all get caught up in the last-minute rush, and our pockets suffer the dire consequences. However, this little mishap can be avoided if you shop in advance.
For you to conduct your holiday shopping early in advance, you require to know exactly what to get your loved ones. Also, you need to know which holidays to prioritize. For instance, will your grandmother appreciate a Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas present?
Once you get that out of the way, take advantage of Black Friday Sales, flash sales, and mid-year discounts. Numerous stores offer mid-year sales and end-of-year clearance sales. The perfect gift lies there.
Shopping in advance for the holiday season saves you the emotional turmoil of overcompensating because you forgot to grab your kid’s favourite new toy in time. It also gives you the gift of time, helping you curate and personalize any gift. Ultimately, it saves you tonnes of money!!
4. Avoid Using Your Credit Card.
Going down the credit card rabbit hole during the holiday season is easy. The worst bit is that the credit card companies know this, too. That’s why they will send thousands of emails prompting you to use your credit card to shop, especially during the festive season.
So, before you take advantage of the ‘holiday offers,’ ask yourself if you would still buy an item if it weren’t on sale!! Probably not; that’s how you escape that trap.
Research shows that most people spend thrice as much when they use their credit cards for holiday shopping. To navigate this, ensure you pay with cash, write a check, or use a debit card. Spend money you already have, and you will be fine.
5. Shop Alone.
Shopping alone can be a hassle, especially during the holiday season. You always have your guard up and are constantly aware of strangers approaching you. You can’t leave your items unattended and have no one to mirror your choices. It sucks!!
Regardless of the strain, it is a good holiday shopping strategy, especially when you want to save some cash. Shopping alone helps you avoid impulse buying and spending. You are not exposed to the peer pressure of buying an item just because everyone else is buying it.
Shopping alone helps you stick to your list and budget. Your discipline prevails, of course, because your temptations are limited!! But believe me, that’s a good thing. It also helps you silence the noise and buy what you want and value.
6. Don’t Spoil the Kids.
Every parent works hard to provide a comfortable lifestyle for their children. At the very least, a little better than they had while growing up. So, saying don’t spoil your kids sounds counter-productive!
The simple truth is that overindulging your children is not good for your wallet or your kids, either. Substitute a fancy gift with quality time. Play games, watch holiday movies, and create new traditions—this will mean more to your child than any gift you could give them.
Resist buying 20 different gifts for your little ones and instead buy a few personalized items. Better yet, give them a gift and tell them how much love you put into it. Over the years, they will appreciate these small gestures more than a PlayStation 5.
The Take Away.
The holiday season can be gruelling and cruel to anyone, even the rich, who seem to have it all. However, with the above strategies and smart holiday shopping tips, you’ll have a delicate balance between indulging and saving. Besides, you can also ensure the survival of your financial life beyond the festivities.
What smart holiday shopping tips are you using this festive season?
Happy Holidays!!♥
Mourine Warui is a media and communication expert and seasoned writer. Her goal is to empower and offer solutions to everyday girl’s problems while provoking candid and authentic conversations. Other goals are to provide inspiration and entertainment to readers through creative, thought-provoking and edgy stories.
