Shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are held every year, and they can be both exciting and stressful. The source of this stress is not just the feeling of not knowing what to give your loved ones, but also the financial pressure of concentrating on large expenditures under inflation. Holiday sales are expected to reach
$960.4 billion during the holiday period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, according to the latest forecast from the National Retail Federation (NRF). So, to help you manage your limited income and get the best discounts, here are some tips that can be taken into consideration.
1. Set a reasonable budget and shopping list
Before shopping, you must set up a shopping list and a reasonable budget. In the case of limited savings or expenditure, you must allocate your funds reasonably according to the plan, and be clear about what you want to buy and how much you want to spend on each item so as not to exceed your own budget and resulting in financial burden.
2. Try to avoid shopping sprees
Merchants are very good at setting up all kinds of attractive advertisements, promotions, all of which are driving people to make impulse purchases. Once you start consuming, it is possible to continue this behavior. You need to mitigate this by sticking to your grocery list and temporarily leaving the store for a few minutes or closing the shopping page when you want to keep buying something off your list.
3. Consider delivery issues
Online shopping can often be cheaper than offline shopping, but online shopping sometimes comes with a shipping fee (which is an additional delivery fee). Although many retailers offer shipping coupons or free shipping policies to attract consumers, you still need to conduct a thorough research and calculation before clicking to buy and know the expected cost in advance.
4. DIY gifts yourself
Generally, festivals are accompanied by giving gifts to family members and friends, which is a big expense every year, so DIY is a good way to save money. At the same time, it can give the recipient a special and unforgettable feeling. But there may be a trade-off as to whether the individual gifts for each person on the list are the most appropriate. For example, make a beautiful performance costume for the child and take a commemorative photo for the grandparents.
5. Use more coupon tools
Before you start shopping, financial expert Natalie Warb suggests "When shopping online or offline, please check the coupons of the corresponding brands online first, and use them before checkout to save as much as you can. Don't forget to use extensions to your advantage. Please check resources like
CouponBirds SmartCoupon Finder to find the best discounts for your orders.”
6. Take a closer look at your finances
Before every purchase, make sure you know your financial situation. Because it changes every year according to your finances. And don't just rely on how you shopped before. You need to keep reminding yourself of the totals you can't exceed when shopping for the holidays based on your debt and income situation.
7. Shape good saving habits
Maybe you only find out how empty your wallet is when you spend intensively on holiday shopping, so that many things you like can't be included in your cart. Then, you can set aside about one-third of your income every month as daily savings if you want to spend freely during the holiday shopping season, so that you don’t have to worry about the budget during several major shopping seasons each year.
8. Shop at the right time
Towards the end of the year, stores start lots of different promotions, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You can keep track of the products and discounts that are best for you, and catch deals when they start if you plan and prepare ahead of the holidays, because opportunities are always scarce. Many stores have even extended their holiday sales hours, so you can choose to avoid the peak season and still enjoy the discount you want, which will also avoid the tight logistics situation.
9. Know about upcoming promotions in advance
Be sure to check the weekly leaflet or the brand's official website promotion to see the best discounts and compare prices between different stores in advance if you want to easily save money in the coming shopping season. The whole process is much easier if you already know what you need to buy. Find and compare corresponding sales and promotions based on the products you need, and you can save a lot of money in the end.
10. Create a shopping journal for yourself
After each holiday shopping, you should
calculate your total expenses and categories of spending for each holiday shopping whether it is online or offline. That action will be an ideal guide for what to buy and how much to spend for the new year. At the same time, everyone will know where their money is spent, so that they can effectively avoid waste when shopping next time.
11. Proper use of a group buying
As we know, sometimes merchants will launch a group purchase method for marketing in order to sell more products. Usually, the price of a group purchase will be lower than the price of a single purchase. You can choose to buy more than one at a time or give the same product to 2-3 relatives and friends. However, when using this technique, you must ensure that the price of group buying can save a lot and avoid buying too many products that you don’t really need, which will cause waste.
The holiday shopping season is really exciting and tense, with many merchants and consumers celebrating the "party". But don't let your financial stress or debt detract from the fun of your holiday shopping and keep yourself in debt year-round. Follow the tips above to choose the right strategy for your holiday shopping.
