The pandemic may change the way in which you do the holiday shopping this year. Whether it is gifts for near and dear ones, online grocery shopping for all those parties, or winter apparel and accessories, holidays are a great time to plan a shopping spree.
Holiday shopping can be mayhem as you have to brave crowded malls, overpriced items, and the temptation of overspending on holiday items. Try these tips to shop smarter and have a much happier and safe holiday shopping experience.
Make a Budget and a Shopping List
Make sure to set a budget for your holiday shopping and create a shopping list accordingly. Whether it is an overall spending limit for all your holiday gifts, or a specific amount per person on your list, setting a budget will make a smart way to shop. This will help you to avoid the temptation of overspending on gifts.
Track Your Spending with a Separate Holiday Account
You can set a separate holiday account to make it easy to track the expenses, usage of credit cards, etc, and prevent the risk of going over budget. This way, you can easily see where you stand on your budget at a glance
Start Early
It is better to start your holiday shopping early to get good deals and avoid having to pay on rush deals. The pressure to get gifts at the last minute will be stressful and budget-breaking alike.
Group your Shopping Trips
If you have to go to multiple stores to do some of your holiday shopping, make a list of stores you need to visit and plan the route that will save driving time. It is better to get all your shopping done in one go.
Avoid Shopping on Weekends
Weekends are always the busiest shopping days, especially during the holiday season. Avoid the crowds, by shopping on weekday evenings.
Shop Alone
Shopping with friends may be fun. But if you want to finish your shopping chores quickly and avoid the temptation of impulsive holiday splurges, it is better to shop alone.
Wrap Your Own Gifts
A nicely wrapped gift will enhance the gift-giving experience for sure. But getting gifts wrapped by paying extra money may not be a wise decision as it is going to end up getting ripped and tossed the moment your gifts reach the recipients. A smart way would be to wrap the gifts all by yourselves to save money and feel proud of your abilities.
Shop Online
Avoid crowded shopping centers and enjoy leisurely shopping at your pace right from the comforts of your home. This will allow you to get the best deals, save time, fuel charges, and effort, and above all stay safe from the infection risks. Make sure to order your items ahead of time so that you don’t have to pay for expensive quick shipping. Shopping online makes it easier to stick to your shopping list.
Consider coupon codes, free shipping offers, and more while comparing prices at different online stores. Using cashback apps is a smart strategy to get the most of your budget. By combining cash back apps, credit card points, and coupons, you can easily save a pretty penny.
Use Credit Card Reward Points
The holiday season is an excellent time to cash in on all the credit card reward points you have been accumulating all year. Even if you don’t use credit cards much, you can still trade points for free gift cards.
Choose Gifts that will Get used for a Long Time
Ensure more value for your money by choosing gifts that your recipients will use for a long time. Though novelty items may look good on the store shelves, it might not be of much use to those who receive them. As gift trends change like quicksand a gift that isn’t in it for the long haul is a waste of your money and of lesser value for the recipients. You can shop smarter by choosing useful gifts that your recipients will use for a long time and more importantly will stay relevant in the future as well.
Last but not least, the holidays are worth a celebration and spending quality time with your family and friends. Do not get caught up in the marketing hype and buy things that you may never need.
