Yep. It’s that time of year again. Time to head out to the stores. Time to go shopping online. Time to pick out the kind of gifts that will make you feel appreciated for months to come.
Yet here’s the thing: Although Christmas can definitely be a very special and sentimental occasion, if you’re not careful, come January, it can also be a season that puts you into some serious “catch up mode” as you try to recover from all of the shopping debt that you incurred.
So how can you reduce some of your holiday debt this year? We have a few ideas that you might want to check out:
Choose wisely. Christmas is the time when there’s a lot of pressure to buy the latest and hottest in electronics, fashion, you name it. However, in the midst of all of that “shop pressure”, don’t rush to purchase someone’s heart’s desire at the first place that you see it. Patience is a virtue and if you make it a point to look at a few stores (both physical locations as well as over the internet), there’s a huge chance that you can find a great deal.
Pay cash. There are quite a few well-known financial experts (such as Dave Ramsey) who will tell you that if you can’t pay cash for “it”, then it’s something that you really can do without. It may be tempting to pull out your credit card, but don’t forget that once the presents are opened and the excitement wears off, you will still have a big bill (and interest) that will be awaiting you. For this reason, cash really is best.
Use coupons. Coupons don’t take a break during Christmas and neither should you. You can save a lot of money by going through the newspaper and looking through the fliers that you receive from your favorite retailers in the mail. Also, don’t forget that those company’s websites sometimes have sales that are specifically geared to online shoppers and that promotional code companies like Retail Me Not and Promotional Code can save you as much as 30-50 percent and/or free shipping if you opt to use them.
Make a few gifts. Thanks to cyberspace, there are loads of websites that can provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to make gifts by hand. Some of those sites include DIY Network and YouTube. There are also many creativity blogs to choose from as well. Simply go to your favorite search engine and type “great homemade gift ideas” in the search field.
In the future, shop ahead. Retailers know that an overwhelming majority of us tend to wait until the last minute to do our Christmas shopping. That’s why they have absolutely no problem raising their prices because they knew that we’re desperate enough to pay what they are asking for. Whether you’re looking for the perfect coat, a diamond ring or even some cheap airline tickets for a planned family vacation, it doesn’t hurt to shop during the time when Christmas is not on everyone’s mind. Just like you can get a huge discount by going on a trip during your desired destination’s off season, you can also get some pretty good deals by shopping during the fall, spring and summer months too.
This is a guest post written specifically for this site. Opinions expressed are of the author.
