Add yourself to your holiday gift list, plus 6 other surprising tips to save money this Black Friday
I love the idea of shopping for friends and family in a bustling mall or on a sparkling downtown street, admiring the magical holiday window displays. But how I find gifts is much less romanticized.
I do most of my holiday shopping online, which is convenient but overwhelming. There are more sites than I know how to find, and retailers have new sales every week. Over the past few years, I’ve found myself anxiously going back and forth with gifts. I would postpone it, which would lead to a last minute spend too much and unnecessary postage costs. I used to be tempted by anything I thought was a ‘good deal’, causing me to buy too many unnecessary things.
After years of doing holiday shopping all wrong, I’ve learned some helpful strategies to avoid some of these costly mistakes.
Holiday Shopping Strategies
I’m not letting holiday shopping overwhelm or consume me this year. Here’s how you can curb excessive spending, too.
🗒️ Plan ahead
Start by mentioning who you are buying gifts for and set a budget for each person. It’s also helpful to think about what you plan to give them and set a deadline for making purchases. This will help you avoid last-minute impulse purchases and excessive shipping costs.
❌ Avoid impulsive purchases
Instagram ads and TikTok shopping features tempt us to buy everything not on our list as we scroll through ads. To avoid clicking ‘Buy’ on the latest trend, I’ve set a very important rule: don’t make impulsive purchases.
I told myself not to make an unplanned purchase without thinking about it for a day. Now I put the item in my cart and check it again 24 hours later. Most of the time I decide I don’t really need or want it.
🎁 Give yourself one treat
I don’t buy many things for myself. But sometimes, spending money for others during the holidays opens the door in my brain to spend more on myself. I can easily get carried away.
To combat this, I buy a Christmas gift for myself while I shop for others. It helps me set boundaries while still treating myself.
🏷️ Use price comparison tools
Some price comparison apps and browser extensions can help you save or get more money money back while shopping for holiday deals. Price comparison tools can also help you spot deals that aren’t so good either.
For example, I like to use the automatic popup Browser extension Karma when I shop online. Karma has a feature that alerts me when the price of an item is expected to drop soon and where the item is being offered cheaper.
Other apps, including BuyVia And ShopSavvyyou can scan a barcode in store to compare costs.
💲Look for price match guarantees
Some big-box stores offer a price match guarantee. For example if Walmart has a better deal on the exact same item as Target, Target can adjust the item’s price to match Walmart’s.
Stores with a price match policy include Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Nordstrom. Each retailer has different requirements for price matching. Typically, you must request this within a certain period of time (often 7 to 14 days after a purchase), and retailers may only match prices on certain brands, so make sure you understand any restrictions first.
✅ When your list is ready, stop shopping
This may seem simple, but it’s not the easiest to follow when finding good deals. When your list is complete, you can stop holiday shopping. There will always be last minute sale or items you haven’t seen before. Try to be satisfied with the gifts you have found.
🛍️ Shop with strategies that work for you
Filling a shopping cart online can be so easy (almost too easy). For me, online shopping for gifts is more convenient, but I usually spend more than in a physical store. Other people tend to spend more when shopping in person. Think about what helps you stick to your goal budget and any strategies you’ve found useful over the years.
In other words, my holiday shopping challenges may not be the same as yours. It’s important to tailor your shopping strategies to your strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. Use these tips as a guide, but be realistic about what You need this holiday season.
