Holiday Shopping Tips- When it comes to buying gifts, many of us are terrible at this front. Either we end up purchasing redundant gifts or overspending on unnecessary things. If you want to buy superb gifts without wobbling your budget, then learn some dos and don’ts of holiday shopping that help you use your money smartly while avoiding reckless spending.
Holiday shopping and stress go hand in hand. It not only carries a lot of excitement but this enthusiasm is fully capable of jiggling your budget and drowning you financially. The stress of figuring out what sort of gifts to pick for your loved ones is already huge. Additionally, you have to ensure everybody’s happiness while being fair to your wallet.
Whether you are buying gifts for your family, friends, or someone special, the whole holiday shopping is an expensive time of the year. Even if you are willing to spend, you cannot do it carelessly. To help you in this incalculably nerve-wracking situation, we have come up with great holiday shopping tips. You will get to learn tips that you need to incorporate and some common buying mistakes that you need to avoid while doing holiday shopping.
Holiday Shopping Tips – Do’s & Dont’s
Holiday seasons are already very distressing. Buying gifts adds up to that stress level even more. If you are going on a date with your partner on holiday, obviously you will take some gifts. And it is said that by giving gifts to each other, the relationship becomes stronger. This strain leads to making major money blunders so you need to learn a few holiday shopping mistakes you need to avoid. To make sure that your finances don’t blow up due to expanded spending, here are some important holiday shopping dos and don’ts that will save you from being in such a state.
05 important do’s in holiday shopping
1. Budgeting is vital
Whether you are buying presents online or heading towards the mall, you need to establish a budget for it. Jot down the name of people whom you are planning to buy presents for. Now decide the amount which is going to be spent on gifts. Once you have this figure, divide the total by the number of presents you need. This step will give you a fair idea of the amount you are going to spend on each person. You might want to spend more on a few people, make adjustments accordingly or reduce the amount for other people’s gifts properly.
2. Grab deals
You need to start early in order to grab various deals in shops, malls, or online. Starting a little early will give you the flexibility to decide on gifts and compare the prices of each. You are required to do some research. Moreover, you can find many shopping apps that allow you to compare gift prices across various websites and notifies you regarding the price drop of your wishlist items. Buying everything in a single day will reduce the opportunity of doing savings on the same gifts.
3. Try taking twofold discounts
You save a substantial amount of money on various discounting deals in the market. For example, many credit card companies offer a 15% discount or some cash back on opening up a new card. If you grab such discounted deals, you can save a significant amount of money. Combining sales with such a new credit card opening strategy can save a lot. Please note you need to be disciplined to pay off the balance in the first months. But if you don’t trust yourself avoid this strategy.
4. Save on shipping
It is unwise to spend super extra money on shipping charges. Simply put, there is no point in spending additional money for the shipping. Do your research and see which websites are offering free shipping for the products. If there are minimums, you can bundle some gifts you want to buy to earn free shipping. This is one of the tips for saving on holiday gifting & shopping.
5. Earn rewards
The holiday season is the time of the year when you spend the most. Why not earn rewards and use credit cards that offer good cashback? But make sure you pay the balance on time.
05 important don’ts in holiday shopping
1. Stick to the budget
You need to stick to your budget whenever you buy gifts for your loved ones. Holiday seasons are meant to be festive and bring joy. You should not put yourself in a debt cycle to purchase expensive gifts for someone. Avoid enriching other people’s lives at your own expense. Don’t spend more than you have planned and aim for holiday shopping on a budget.
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2. Be frugal, not cheap
There is a thin line between being frugal and cheap. If you are frugal you will do maximum efforts in finding the best price for your shortlisted gift item. Being cheap is when people put the price of the product above its quality. They buy poor stuff with the lowest quality just because it is cheaper.
3. Avoid buying, if you can make
Undeniably, handmade gifts are more memorable and special to one’s heart. For example, many elderly people knit sweaters for their grandchildren out of love. We are not asking you to do it as time has changed a lot. You can draw nice paintings, make cards, or create a photo album with favorite pictures, etc. Apart from this, if you are organizing a surprise party for your partner, then you can make a cake by yourself on holiday. Or you can make any handicraft item by yourself, believe that your partner will like it very much and that day will become memorable.
4. Don’t ignore the eligibility of returns
You should never buy any product on sale that is not eligible for return. Purchasing items from sales is a little dicey. If you end up spending all your money on the incorrect shirt size, gift a video game to the person who already has it, or the item is not working up to the mark. In such a situation, getting frustrated is normal. Things even become worse when you fail to return them. Therefore, prior to buying any stuff whether it is small or big, always check its return eligibility.
5. Avoid paying for the delivery return
This is a hard truth, every gift you order is not always successful. Most online sellers pick up returnable items from your doorstep but a few don’t follow the same. Online shopping is trickier than you think. Therefore, make sure whoever seller you chose does not charge additional shipping costs for exchanging or returning the item. This especially applies to clothing because sizes are very uncertain.
Quick Holiday Shopping and safety tips
Safety is equally important when you are out with a lot of cash to buy gift items. Holiday seasons are the busiest and most crowded, so you need to take additional precautions. Let us take a quick look at some of the tips for your safety on the move:
- Keep your wallets/purses in the front pockets of your pants or close to your body.
- Avoid arguing over any item. You will get distracted and it would be easier for thieves to steal from you.
- Never flash the amount of cash you are carrying. Don’t take it out until required.
- Avoid carrying more items than your capacity.
- Using a single card will prevent data breaches because this issue has occurred several times in the past.
- Keep all the receipts with you and monitor card transaction activity by checking them periodically or immediately.
- Take help while carrying large or heavy items.
If you are taking children, find a spot and ask them to gather there in case of separation. Teach your children to ask for help from staff or security personnel when they get lost in the crowd.
If you are shopping online then consider:
- Sticking to the known retailer or with whom you have shopped earlier.
- Research the business by checking complaints and reviews before making a purchase.
- Keep all the shopping apps updated.
- Don’t fall for a deal that seems untrue.
- Make sure that a company URL starts with HTTPS, not HTTP. The extra ‘s’ stands for added safety and security of the webpage. If you want to know more about it then definitely read this- Why SSL is Important for a website?
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi while purchasing items. This makes it easier for hackers to intercept your personal info and use it for an illegitimate purpose
Final thoughts
Holiday seasons are meant to be joyous, you should not burden yourself financially due to your kindness. You need to look after other things as well. Setting a budget is one of the best tips for shopping while on holiday. It helps you avoid spending more on things. Having a predetermined budget saves your money and averts likely financial strain.
Holiday shopping is stressful for many. Additionally, overspending on presents is a common problem because we are tempted to spend excitedly on things. For instance, when a person gets a job and starts making good money. He/she would want to gift all those people who have helped him/her in the struggle and festive times are the best to convey thanks.
Most importantly, use this time to make innumerable priceless memories with your friends, family, and special someone. Make this gifting process a little less stressful with the help of all the above dos and don’ts. Stress while figuring out the gifts and coming up with a budget is tough, but in the end, all these efforts are going to pay off in the most rewarding way!
