The best ways to stretch your holiday shopping budget
The holiday season is about the joy of giving, but long shopping lists can easily topple your monthly budget. Here’s how to stretch out your money.
There is much more to worry about when it comes to money because the festive décor, parties, and baking can burn a hole in your wallet. You may splurge when the festive mood is high and even deplete your savings.
But thankfully, you can avoid the situation without trimming your shopping list. You only need to be creative and money-savvy to get the best of both worlds. Here are some tried and tested ways to stretch your holiday shopping budget.
Put a price tag on your relationships
Although relationships are priceless, putting a price tag on them makes sense when preparing your shopping lists during the festive season. Think beyond writing down a gifting list of loved ones, friends, and colleagues.
While you must include everyone you want and follow the etiquette, ensure adding a column for monetary value. It enables you to create an actionable holiday season budget and stick with it during your buying sprees.
Be proactive
Last-minute shopping sets you up for heavy spending because you focus more on completing the job than the price. Moreover, you hardly get time to compare prices and find the best deals. But you can buy more with less by being proactive and picking your lists sooner than later.
In fact, starting a couple of months before the season enables you to divide the burden. Moreover, you can get the best deals on sale days by shopping on time.
Economize with coupons
Holidays or no holidays, coupons set you up for massive savings with price cuts. Most shoppers fail to keep them in mind due to the holiday rush. But buying them beforehand puts you in a good place. You can check Troupon for coupon codes, promotions, discounts, and referral codes from top brands and retailers. Applying them can help you stretch your budget more than you imagine.
Factor in shipping
Online shopping offers great convenience as you can buy with a few clicks and close your shopping lists sooner than later. You can even get doorstep delivery at your place or directly to the recipient.
But remember to factor in shipping while budgeting for online buying because the extra expense can affect your budget. However, you may get free shipping on bulk buys, so shop wisely to save more.
Save up for high-value presents
Another valuable piece of advice for stretching your holiday shopping budget is to save up for high-value presents. Start a savings fund for the holidays early if you plan to surprise your partner with a diamond ring or buy the latest gadget for your kid.
Even a few hundred dollars stashed somewhere can make shopping easy for you. Moreover, you need not postpone the purchase to next year.
Holiday shopping on a budget is absolutely possible, provided you choose wisely and buy frugally. You can also go the extra mile with savings to stretch your spending with these practical money-savvy buying tips.
