For our final installment of Saving for the Holidays we will be covering how to shop smarter when you make your purchases in store. When beginning your holiday shopping, especially when doing it in stores, it is so easy to get overwhelmed. Christmas carols will soon be playing, holiday ads will be plastered everywhere, and your shopping list seems like it’s a mile long! Lucky for you we’re here to make the task of holiday shopping not only manageable, but affordable too!

1. Budget, budget, budget!

Budget! Just make one, seriously. It may seem like a drag, but creating a budget and list of people whom you intend to purchase gifts for will make your life so much easier. The real key is sticking to the budget! Making a list of who will be receiving gifts from you can also help you keep track of your shopping so as to ensure no double purchases. However, when creating your budget, it is also a great idea to have a miscellaneous category for those surprise or last-minute gifts you have to give. Be sure to keep a cap on each of your categories because it’s always easy to get carried away.

2. Shop After Holidays

Shopping after holidays, this may come as a surprise to many, can get you some of the deepest discounts around. After major holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., retailers will discount seasonal items 50% off and even higher! By stocking up after holidays you’ll have seasonal goodies that you can not only give out at Christmas time, but year-round too! Be wary when shopping after holidays, especially Thanksgiving,  because your competition for sale items  will definitely be fierce and there will be the temptation to give into impulse buying. If you’re planning on doing Black Friday be sure to be prepared with a clear list of what you want and what you will purchase. Impulse buys at great prices aren’t always the best decision no matter what their sale price is. When making a purchase that isn’t on your list ask yourself “Do I really need this?” or “Who am I planning on giving this to?”.

3. Do Your Homework

Saving money while holiday shopping requires some legwork. Finding the best price for the items you want involves doing your homework. This means comparing prices, looking up promo codes and coupons, and signing up for store loyalty programs and emailing lists. Comparing prices and reviews of products , especially on major purchase items like tech items, can save you a pretty penny plus get you a better quality product. As for promo codes and coupons be sure to check out the Coupon Code Section of our site or our Coupon Feeds. There you can find promo codes you can use online plus coupons you can print out and use in store. Another great idea is to sign up for store loyalty programs or emailing lists. Stores will often send their loyal customers special sale promotions or at least give them the first heads up as to when a sale will be happening.

4. DIY and Thrifting

Thrifting and DIYing provide great alternatives to purchasing something brand new. Shopping at thrift shops or garage sales will allow you to buy better quality items that have been gently used at a deeply discounted prices. Often enough you can purchase high-end items for pennies on the dollar and all you have to do is clean said item up for it to be as good as new!  As for DIYing you can create unique gifts that truly come from the heart of the giver. By putting in that extra effort by creating something special you’re giving something more than a material item. If you need some inspiration for DIYing we recommend checking out our Pintrest page.

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