One of the biggest challenges of the holiday season, as the likes of Robert Jain can attest, is saving money. Everything from shopping for presents to buying airline tickets contributes to the difficulties of keeping costs low. What people may not know is that, during this time of the year, saving money isn't as difficult as it appears. In fact, here are some of the things to avoid when shopping during the holidays.
One of the biggest holiday shopping mistakes, according to reputable authorities on finance like Bob Jain, is shopping in person. It's common to assume that, especially on busy days like Black Friday, the best deals are found in person. As ecommerce becomes more common, however, the sales that are found online are nearly identical. You don't have to necessarily leave your house in order to save money on presents for your loved ones.
What about the idea of making a list and the fact that many people fail to do so? This isn't exactly a list to see who's been naughty or nice before Christmas, but instead a catalog of purchases that you have made during the holiday season. By keeping this list, you will see how much money you're spending and perhaps not be so eager to make purchases for yourself. This is an often-overlooked money-saving measure, but its importance can't be denied.
You should also be creative, as a lack of creativity can result in you spending more money than necessary. It's common to want to spend more money on your loved ones, as this, in theory, results in better gifts. However, you may be surprised to know that this isn't entirely necessary. In fact, if you focus more on what your loved ones enjoy, and base your gift ideas around those concepts, you may be surprised by how much more money you can save.
Another mistake that holiday shoppers tend to make is waiting too long to actually shop. You may think that you can get everything done the week before Christmas, but the truth of the matter is that this can be very difficult. Not only are stores more crowded during this period, but you may find it difficult to mail out what you need, as evidenced by historically long lines at post offices. The earlier that you get everything done, the better off you'll be.
One of the biggest holiday shopping mistakes, according to reputable authorities on finance like Bob Jain, is shopping in person. It's common to assume that, especially on busy days like Black Friday, the best deals are found in person. As ecommerce becomes more common, however, the sales that are found online are nearly identical. You don't have to necessarily leave your house in order to save money on presents for your loved ones.
What about the idea of making a list and the fact that many people fail to do so? This isn't exactly a list to see who's been naughty or nice before Christmas, but instead a catalog of purchases that you have made during the holiday season. By keeping this list, you will see how much money you're spending and perhaps not be so eager to make purchases for yourself. This is an often-overlooked money-saving measure, but its importance can't be denied.
You should also be creative, as a lack of creativity can result in you spending more money than necessary. It's common to want to spend more money on your loved ones, as this, in theory, results in better gifts. However, you may be surprised to know that this isn't entirely necessary. In fact, if you focus more on what your loved ones enjoy, and base your gift ideas around those concepts, you may be surprised by how much more money you can save.
Another mistake that holiday shoppers tend to make is waiting too long to actually shop. You may think that you can get everything done the week before Christmas, but the truth of the matter is that this can be very difficult. Not only are stores more crowded during this period, but you may find it difficult to mail out what you need, as evidenced by historically long lines at post offices. The earlier that you get everything done, the better off you'll be.