Get Smart About Christmas Shopping

 

Holiday shopping is a stressful time for many, specially when it comes to Christmas shopping. With the holidays just around the corner, you need to find ways to make this experience LESS stressful, right? Lucky for you we've gathered some helpful tips on ways you can get smart about Christmas shopping! 

1. Set Yourself a Budget

We wouldn't be a credit union if we didn't always talk about budgeting! To get smart about Christmas shopping, you first have to set aside a budget on how much you're willing to spend on each person. Try not to go over that spending so you can reach your shopping goals stress free! 

2. Shop the Sales Ahead of Time

Everyone loves a good sale, so why not shop for Christmas gifts then? It's always smart to think ahead and shop before the holidays roll around. You can easily get great deals throughout the year, especially the days AFTER Christmas. This smart way of shopping can save you the hassle of battling the holiday crowds at the mall, and will help you relax knowing you're already done with your Christmas list! Not only that, you're saving money, and we think that's smarter than paying full price for gifts.

3. Secondhand Gifts

Now, this may be taboo for some, specially when it involves gifts, but buying secondhand or used items and gifting them as new can save you money. Take some time to check out your local Goodwill or Dirt Cheap and sift through the thousands of items they have! Many of these items are marked down simply because they're not level, have a couple scratches on them, or are stained. Us budget friendly people like to see beyond that. There is nothing some cleaning wipes, a good wash, or some paint can't fix! If your money is tight and you have to get secondhand gifts, do not feel embarrassed. Christmas is about spending quality time with friends and family, not about gifting the most expensive gift. 

4. DIY Christmas Gifts

With that being said, you can always make your own Christmas gifts! Are you savvy with a stamp machine? Are you an amazing painter? Can you make one-of-a-kind shirts? If you can DIY a Christmas gift, why don't you? Most of the time you can DIY something to save money, and we are 100% sure the person will really appreciate a thoughtful gift. 

5. Gift Experiences

When people think of Christmas, they always think of expensive gifts and brand new items. But what is stopping you from gifting an experience? What we mean by this is, instead of buying expensive gifts that are probably going to be discarded in 2 years time, why not gift a fun vacation or quality time with your family or friends? Quality time with the people you love is the best gift of all. You can throw in some gift cards or small gifts if you want, but spending time together is the true gift.

The holidays are filled with joy and laughter, but they can equally be filled with stress. Be smart about Christmas shopping and plan ahead. Save up throughout the year and make sure to hit up those sales! When you become smart about Christmas shopping, you can save thousands of dollars (and headaches).

If you're looking for a place to save your holiday money, check out our Christmas Club Accounts! Easily set money aside in this account to make sure you have enough money for those gifts!