This year most people are concerned about Christmas shopping. Due to the pandemic, many consumers are counting on a reduced budget to cover all the expenses generated by the holidays. Buying gifts for all your loved ones is gratifying but can be really stressful at the same time if you don’t have the money for it.
This is why we will guide you throughout your holiday shopping with some tips and ideas to save some money.
Size special sale events
Around this time of the year there are several sales events during the holiday shopping season, like Amazon Prime Day, which date is Oct 13.
The most important events are Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving). In these events you will be able to find the greatest deals; from Black Friday bras special discounts to Cyber Mondays´ electronic sales.
There is also Free Shipping Day (December 14) in which many retailers offer free shipping and other special discounts, with no minimum order.
Shopping through these special events is highly recommended, you can save a lot of money accessing all the special deals. Prices are extremely low during the sales events, so low that it is an excellent opportunity to stash gifts, for future occasions, if your budget allows it.
Set up a budget and make a list
It is important to write down all the gifts you need to purchase and how much money you can spend on each considering your total budget. Make a list of all your loved ones and calculate the money you can afford on every gift (be honest with yourself), also include how much money you can spend on decorations, travel, food and other expenses related to the holidays. If the list of the people you need to buy presents for is too extensive for your budget, you need to narrow it down. Take some pressure off your back, talk to your friends about not exchanging gifts this year, surely they will understand. You can also present a gift per family instead of one gift for each member. Once you have your list and the numbers you need to stick to it! If you don’t follow your list, you will probably end up overspending on some impulsive shopping deals.
It is a very difficult year and after all, Christmas is not about the presents but about spending time with your loved ones.
Secret Santa can be a great solution
if your family is really big and you are all gathering for Christmas Eve, purchasing gifts and cooking for everyone can be overwhelming. A nice and fun way to solve this problem is to assign a Secret Santa to each member of the family. Everyone is assigned a random family member to whom they give a gift. The identity of the Secret Santa should not be revealed, but this is just a game and every family makes its own rules. There is usually a spending limit imposed to make things even for everyone.
In terms of meals, you can have everyone to contribute; assigning each member to be in charge of drinks, food or desserts.
Personalized thoughtful or handmade gifts are more special than the expensive ones
There are people who already have everything they need, and that makes the task of buying them a gift really difficult. This is an excellent opportunity to get creative and buy or make some thoughtful gifts, which tend to be a lot cheaper.
There are tons of possibilities; it could be a decorative personalized pillow, a special photo in a handcrafted frame, an engraved pen, personalized Christmas mugs, etc.
Do not purchase in the last minute
Many people have experienced shopping in the last minute, running from store to store trying to find whatever they can to present their loved ones and spending whatever it takes to get it done. Some experts call this “panic spending”, and you should avoid it at all cost. Get organized and purchase your gifts in advance, especially because prices rise at the last minute before Christmas, therefore, you better start early this season.