Consumers spent $1.008 trillion during the 2019 holiday season. That equals a lot of crowded parking lots, long lines, and frantic shoppers.
This year, you can avoid being frazzled when shopping for family and friends. Here are our top holiday shopping tips to make this holiday season merry and bright.
1. Make a List (and Check it Twice)
We’d all love to shower our family and friends with multiple expensive gifts. Yet, in reality, we have a limited budget to work with.
One of the best holiday shopping tips is to make a gift list and set a budget.
Think carefully about each person you are buying for. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to find something thoughtful and creative such as Batman Gifts for the superhero lover in your life.
Making a list allows you to shop with a purpose. You also won’t accidentally buy too much for one person or have to rely on your brain to keep gifts straight.
Plus, you will avoid impulse buys when you are shopping on a budget.
There’s a great app called Santa’s Bag. It allows you to organize your shopping (and spending) by each person you need to buy for.
Yes, it’s password-protected to keep snoopers out.
2. Map Your Shopping
Once you have your list ready to go, the next way to make Christmas shopping fun and stress-free is to map out where you need to go.
List where you need to go and what you need to get from each store. It’s great if you list what order you will visit each location.
This way you save a ton of time, gas, and keep your sanity.
All it takes is just a few minutes of prepping before you head out.
3. Price Match
What could be better than finding the perfect gift for someone? Why, getting it for less, of course!
Before you head into the checkout line (or maybe while you are in a long line), do a bit of research.
Many retailers will match a competitor’s price on identical items.
Websites like BizRate, CamelCamelCamel, and Pronto are especially helpful if you’re shopping online.
4. Support Small, Local Businesses
This year, it’s more important than ever to support your local, independent businesses. COVID-19 and all its closures and uncertainties have made it a tough year for little shops and stores.
Big multi-million dollar corporations don’t need your patronage. But every purchase makes a difference to small businesses.
Best of all, you can find unique gifts for your loved ones that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
Not to mention that you are less likely to deal with crowded parking lots and long lines by shopping local.
Not sure what to get? A gift certificate to a cute boutique or shop is sure to please everyone on your Christmas list.
5. Considering Gifting Experiences
Perhaps your family doesn’t need more stuff. Sometimes, the best gift is something that can’t fit in a box.
Consider buying a day or weekend trip, concert tickets, and so on. This is a great way to share the experience together and build memories.
Plus, it’s something that the receiver can look forward to even once the Christmas tree is put away.
When you gift an experience you are investing your money in creating memories that last a lifetime.
Enjoy These Holiday Shopping Tips
Thanks for reading! We hope these 5 holiday shopping tips make your Christmas shopping merry and bright (and stress-free).
Be sure to check out our other blog articles for more great content.
