If you haven’t already started your holiday shopping, now is the time to begin! It is easy to become overwhelmed by the thought of your holiday shopping list that includes all of your friends and family. Gifts for that entire list can get pricey and come January, those credit card bills can put a damper on an incredible holiday season. We have some helpful tips to stay ahead of holiday shopping and successfully budget your way through a joyful season!
Write a budget and stick to it
For a lot of us, the primary cause of holiday stress is financial strain. Avoid the guilty you feel at the end of the holiday season by writing a strict shopping budget and sticking to it. Before you even buy that first gift, set a reasonable budget of what you are willing to spend. Do no stray from those monetary values. When January rolls around and the credit card bill shows up you’ll be thanking yourself.
Make your list and check it twice
Avoid overbuying and stay organized. Most likely your list goes on and on with family, friends, teachers, coaches and more! Make a list of everyone you need a gift for and brainstorm ahead of time what you would like to purchase for each individual. This will be a great tool to help you stick to your budget as well as keeping you from over buying. Consult your list before every purchase to avoid overbuying when you see those crazy sales.
Be aware of shipping deadlines
To avoid the panic of receiving your gifts on time be sure that you are aware of transit time. The best way to avoid this issue is to start your holiday shopping NOW, ensuring plenty of time for your items to arrive. If things get tight, consider shipping the gifts you buy off SHOP.COM directly to the recipients. A lot of SHOP.COM partner stores give you the option of having your purchases gift wrapped as well. Your gift will arrive to its destination joyfully packaged, and you can be worry-free! If time runs out, don’t forget that you can send eGifts or SHOP.COM gift cards any time you’d like!
Have a backup plan
It is a smart plan to budget for a few small extra gifts. These will come in handy for unexpected guests or the host of a holiday party you attend. They don’t have to be large or expensive gifts, just something that shows your appreciation. You will be happy you thought about these in advance instead of having to rush to the store and buying the first thing you see under a tight deadline.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? What are the top must-have items on your list for 2014?
