If your holiday shopping tradition is to walk the entire mall and just buy all the gifts you think all your family members and friends will like, you’re not alone – and you’re probably spending much more money than you really need to. In this article from U.S. News, Karen Cordaway shares some terrific tips for planning and spending wisely for this season’s holiday shopping.
The holidays are right around the corner. Planning who to shop for and what to get now can work to your wallet’s advantage and reduce the stress of frantically running around later to get the perfect gift. Shoppers can stay within their budgets and pick out something for everyone on their list using the tips below.
Make it a habit to shop at the bulk store. Take the stress out of finding the perfect gift by going with a theme. Maybe this is the year that many of the recipients on your list receive a bottle of wine, a bag of their favorite gourmet coffee beans or a batch of biscotti. You can cross a bunch of people off of your list in one fell swoop by batch purchasing. This approach can potentially save you time and money while getting your shopping done. Compare prices to get the best deals. You can always personalize a gift by adding some sort of gift topper to whatever you end up buying to make it more personal.
Buy in bulk at any store. Buying multiples doesn’t only have to happen at a bulk warehouse store. I have found some useful generic gifts at craft stores. Stationery, fancy pens, festive-scented soaps, ornaments and more can serve as wonderful, economical gifts. Search around for other stores where you can buy multiple items for less.
Light up your purchases. Candles are another useful item to stock up on. They are practical and festive. Try to find out the favorite candle scent of the people on your list. This way you can hit a sale and get a bunch of shopping done at once while spending less. You might even be able to support a local school that often has candle fundraisers. You won’t even necessarily need to leave your home to order or receive your purchases. Get your shopping done while boosting the school’s budget for much needed supplies, school field trips or playground-improvement plan.
Set spending limits. There’s nothing worse than exchanging gifts when you have drastically different ideas about spending limits. It can be embarrassing on both ends. Consider making a rule when exchanging gifts year after year. Have everyone agree to a certain amount to prevent future gift giving awkwardness.
Pull names out of a hat. If you have a big family, give gifts at work or run with the same circle of friends, buying for everyone can get costly. Don’t drain your bank account or wrack your brain to come up with answers. Pull names out of a hat every year so everyone buys for one person. Set a limit for how much to spend. This way you can focus your attention on fewer people and take the time to get them something they’ll really like. It takes the stress out of buying for so many people. If it’s still too costly to give gifts outside of immediate family, decide to set a rule to exchange gifts on birthdays or another time of year. You could even have a potluck holiday party just to see each other. That can trim costs and allow you to still see people you care about outside of family.
