6 Holiday Shopping Tips to Avoid Overspending

Planning your finances during the holidays can be stressful. Avoid overspending by following our holiday shopping tips!

 

Pricing

Begin by researching online to make sure that you are getting a fair price. However, the online price may not be the cheapest. Keep in mind that many brick-and-mortar stores offer generous coupons during the holiday season. Many small businesses rely heavily on increased sales during the holiday season. Don’t forget to factor in shipping when seeing a lower online price. Many times it comes down to a few dollars, and if that is the case, try your best to support your local businesses.

Shipping

The holiday season is the busiest time for the majority of companies. Many larger businesses are able to offer cheaper, quicker shipping during the holidays. However, businesses can sometimes get behind in orders and the “order processing” time can add several unadvertised shipping days. Order well in advance to allow for these errors.

Quality

Check reviews from several websites to get a full perspective of the product. Make sure that the company has numerous reviews from a wide audience. Research now to avoid having to deal with returns later.

Purchasing Errors

Mistakes happen. Even with online orders, the wrong amount can be charged to your card. Make sure to keep a close eye on your bank statement to avoid being double charged or charged the incorrect amount.

Overspending

Make a long list of all items needed to be purchased. Presents, decorations, food, movies, are just some of the additional expenses seen during the holiday season. Often times, people budget for gifts but forget to take into account other winter activities. Avoid being broke after the holidays by planning out your month (food, activities, decorations, etc.). Set a budget and stick to it.

Stress

Avoid holiday stress by planning ahead and starting shopping early.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.