4 Rules About Holiday Shopping You Need to Break
The Christmas season is an incredible season of giving and shopping! Savvy shoppers do their best to find the incredible sales on Christmas gifts, clip coupons, and save money. But did you know that some of our holiday shopping rules are absolute myths? Let’s find out which shopping rules you need to break right now!
Is Cash Still King?
The conventional wisdom says that we should always spend cash on the holidays. Scientific studies have found that handing over physical money can cause real emotional pain. However, did you know that if you use a credit card responsibly to buy presents for grandma or the kids that you can gain extra bonuses and rewards? The key is to only spend within your budget. If you don’t trust yourself to do this, then open a card with a very low manageable limit that you only use for Christmas or use a limited online paying service that has rewards. This way you can avoid the trap of overspending just because you are using plastic and not paper.
What About Email Lists?
Every time you purchase an item online or at the store, you are prompted to sign up for an e-mail list for coupons. But should you? If it is a store that you buy from regularly, then receiving the monthly coupons will be helpful. Avoid signing up for every single newsletter. Besides ending up with an inbox full of spams, you can easily be persuaded to purchasing items that you don’t need. Instead, stick with a few trusted websites and say “no” to the rest.
Why Local Isn’t Always Better
For last minute Christmas shopping, nothing beats online deals. With a click of a button or a swipe on your phone, you can quickly scan and compare hundreds of amazing items. Because of free and reduced shipping charges, many online product prices compete easily with what you see in the store. Plus, you are less likely to overspend on bargain basement products, sales on items you don’t need, and whatever your child tosses into the cart if you buy online.
Don’t EVER Overspend, Well, Maybe?
During the Christmas season you can find many staples on sale like sweaters, grocery and baking items, or winter clothing and socks. Look for “evergreen” items with deep discounts. These are items that you will use all year or year after year. For example, if you need a pair of sturdy winter boots that are now thirty percent off, you might want to buy them now instead of waiting until the prices go back up again. Be careful not to use this as an excuse to buy large luxury items, tech gadgets, or trending items that tend to drop in value significantly over time.
Bust these shopping myths this year when you go Christmas shopping. Be a smart shopper. Stay in budget, and enjoy the gift of giving this holiday season.
