Did you know that, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 40% of Americans start holiday shopping before Halloween, and 51.4% start by mid-November? Putting off Christmas shopping too long leads to lackluster gifts, marked up prices, and crowds of rushed, stressed out shoppers. Simple Christmas shopping tips can help you stick to a budget, and keep you out of packed stores.
Start Early, and Take Advantage of Seasonal Sales
As of 2012, Americans spend an average of $750 on Christmas and holiday gifts, according to the NRF. Curb holiday shopping costs by starting early, and making the most of seasonal sales. Buy children’s clothing at low prices, for example, during the back to school season, and purchase reasonably priced electronics on Black Friday. Bargain hunters may benefit from Black Friday shopping tips as well. Browse coupons and shopping inserts for the best sales and discounts, head to stores early, and arrive with an agenda, or a list of a specific items you want to buy.
Shop Online
Avoid the chaos of shopping in stores by browsing and purchasing online instead. Online shopping is fairly simple, popular (a staggering 83% of consumers buy items online), and convenient. Websites are much less likely to be out of stock, and 67% of shoppers believe online stores offer wider selections. It does, however, raise the question, is it safe to shop online?
Americans report more than 700,000 cases of identity theft per year, and some of them can be chalked up to online purchases. Secure online shopping is, however, completely viable. Search for an SSL lock on internet pages. SSL locks will encrypt and protect your credit card information. Stick to reputable sites, or read customer reviews, to make sure online stores are legitimate.
Looking for Christmas shopping tips? Avoid marked up prices by starting early, taking advantage of seasonal sales, and shopping online for a greater amount of variety.
