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How to Get a Head Start on Your Holiday Shopping

By Enero Febrero

shoppersWhile procrastination is a universal phenomenon, we should all be fighting the urge to delay when it comes to shopping for the upcoming holiday season. No matter what you plan on getting for your friends and loved ones, you’re guaranteed to find better deals if you plan ahead of time and make use coupons and cash back offers on the web.

Although many of us are content to wait and drive to the store a couple days before Christmas, it isn’t the most efficient way to maximize your budget. The truth is, you’re always better off giving your loved ones a great gift that they actually want, instead of whatever was left on the shelves for a double-price mark up on Christmas Eve.

Web Coupons

If you take the time to look, there are many money saving tools out there. For example, you can take advantage deals provided byonline coupon providers like Retail-Me-Not, Coupons.com, and KrazyCouponLady. Oftentimes, you can snag awesome discounts for the entire family on items like clothing, jewelry, and housewares. Many times, you can also get free shipping on your orders, hefty discounts on top of in-store markdowns — if you’re really lucky, you may even get cash back on select transactions.

Making a List

There’s nothing worse than getting home from a marathon shopping excursion a couple of days before Christmas morning only to realize that you forgot to pick up a present for someone special. So take a page out of Santa’s book and keep a list of what you want to get each person for Christmas this year. That way, when it comes time to start planning where to shop, you can minimize your travel because you’ll know exactly what you’re getting for each person and which stores to visit.

Don’t Be Overly Reliant on Credit

It can be easy to get carried away with your spending during the holidays if only because, when you’re putting a large number of gifts on your credit card, it’s easy to lose track of how much you’re actually buying. So keep track of your credit limits and focus on only buying gifts that are within your allotted budget for the holiday season.

Get Creative

Picking out one thoughtful gift for a single recipient can be more meaningful than buying a bunch of sub-par presents for everyone — so try planning a Secret Santa gift exchange with your family to lighten the burden for everyone. In a Secret Santa exchange, people are forced to guess who drew their name for the gift they’ll receive. And if a Secret Santa gift exchange isn’t your thing, Kiplinger suggested this fun idea: Get a present for the entire family instead of gifts for each individual member. According to Kiplinger, you might:

Buy a single gift for your brother’s entire family — perhaps an ‘entertainment’ basket filled with DVDs, microwave popcorn and gift certificates to the movies. Or for your sister, the new mother, how about an evening out at a restaurant, plus your services as a free babysitter?

Yes, when it comes to gift-giving, it’s the thought that counts — which is why, even if your gift isn’t the most extravagant one under the tree, you can bet they’ll appreciate the gesture no matter what it is. And if it’s something the recipient will use then … all the better.

Photo Credit: stock photo

September 23, 2014

Comments

  1. 1

    Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way says

    Next week, I will start to make a list for the my family and I’m excited for it. I already used to gave my family a gift every Christmas and I love doing it. Honestly, last weekend, we already set up our Christmas tree!

  2. 2

    Mrs. Frugalwoods says

    I agree–plan ahead! I think that’s the single best way to save money on gifts (well, that and not buying people yachts). I keep my eyes out for deals all year long so that I’m not faced with a daunting list on December 20th. If only I could buy all of the food for hosting our families in advance…

    • 3

      B says

      Buy gift cards to the two or three grocery stores you will shop at (so you can take advantage of sales). I buy an extra $25 card twice a month starting in July. That’s an extra $$200 by Thanksgiving.

  3. 4

    SassyMamaw says

    I have three grown kids and six grandkids. We have all started wish lists on Amazon. We keep them updated throughout the year, and it really helps for gift ideas!

  4. 5

    Money Beagle says

    The number one thing I would recommend is to save money throughout the year so that the gifts can be paid for whenever it happens to be that they’re purchased.

  5. 6

    Ellis says

    When you see something that would be a good gift for someone on your list, pick it up and put it away until the holiday. Just don’t forget you’ve stashed it! I make a list I keep tucked in my wallet so I remember what I’ve already purchased and what gifts I still need to buy.

  6. 7

    kammi says

    Huh? People still do Holiday shopping? My parents are happy to just have me home safely once a year. I bring bottles of wine and they’re happy for my companionship.

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