Holiday Shopping Survival Tips

Holiday Shopping Survival Tips  

With the holidays fast approaching and the Black Friday ads and pre-Black Friday deals coming out in full force, it is EASY to get caught up in the Holiday buying frenzy.    A few tips to keep in mind while out about shopping will ensure that you survive through the Holiday Season without getting deep into debt.

• Make a Budget and stick to it!  How often can this be drilled into our heads?  But the truth of the matter is that unless you have a limit in mind and stick to it, you will go over what you can afford and once the Holidays are done, be stuck with worrying on how to budget for the beginning of the new year.  Not fun.  Instead figure out how many people you have to buy for and how much you want to spend on them.
• Research items – Sure Black Friday deals are pretty great but the fact of the matter is that they are not always the best deals of the season.  As in the article listed above, some items should not be bought on Black Friday even if they are listed as “Lowest Price of the Year!”  Research what items you are looking into getting and don’t get caught up in buying everything really early when some of the best deals are yet to come.
• DIY Gifts – For those crafty people out there (and even the not so crafty, Pinterest is an amazing site for tips and ideas!) you can save a ton of money by making personalized gifts for people on your list.  Not only will the person that is receiving the gift love the fact that you took the time to hand-make their gift but you can personalize the gift to be truly meaningful.  I made my mom a personalized Christmas snow-globe last year and it stayed on her mantle for the entire year (it is still there!) and it was easy and fun to make.

With those tips in mind, everyone remember to enjoy the Holidays, have fun and be safe!  And here is a link for things not to buy on Back Friday!