Holiday shopping -- it will either break your wallet or come really close if you do not watch what you are spending. Instead of worrying about going broke during the holidays, take a look below at 10 ways to save while holiday shopping this year.
1. Buy a Sunday paper and check out the sale ads before you go anywhere. If there is something specific that you want to buy in the ad, make sure you check the other ads for a cheaper price. More than likely another store will have the same product for less.
2. Always make a list of who is getting what for the holidays. Try and stick to that list unless absolutely necessary. A list keeps you from spending more than you need to. Once you are done with someone's gift, you cross it out and move on to the next one.
3. Buy gifts a couple of months before the holidays begin. No matter where you live, everything seems to go a bit higher in price right before the holidays approach. Get it a couple of months earlier and save money that way.
4. Buy gifts after the holiday is over. This is where you can save 50% on next year's gifts. Everything and anything that is related to holidays is on sale the day after the holiday. Sometimes you can get discounts up to 75%, depending on what store you are at. Take advantage of that and save money while you can.
5. Go to the flea market and look around there for some great deals on holiday gifts. Flea markets are great when you are looking for clothes, shoes, purses or a unique gift that you cannot find anywhere else. This is a great way to save money during holiday shopping.
6. Frequent the warehouse clubs and wholesale stores. During the holiday time, these clubs have excellent prices for holiday gifts. You can even get two gifts for the price of one, as they do combine items together for people to save money.
7. Buy $20 gift cards for everyone that you are buying a holiday gift for. These days you can buy so many different kinds of gift cards that there is one for everyone's preferences. While it sounds like a lot of money, in the long run $20 per person is not that much, and you may find that you usually spent more than this on average in years past.
8. Make gift baskets for each person. You can buy basket stuffers very cheap at dollar stores, craft stores and even thrift stores. If someone you know loves food, make a pasta basket. You will spend maybe $15 on all the items in the basket, including the basket. Being creative is a lot less expensive than you think it is.
9. Get everyone to participate in "under $10" gifts for the holiday season. This works out really well when there are a lot of people who you have to buy for. Many will jump at the opportunity to only spend $10 per person.
10. Avoid impulse buying. Never buy something just because you think it is a great deal. More times than less, someone else has it for a lesser price. Window shop first at numerous stores, then begin your buying when you know where the cheapest items are.
There you have it. If you want to save while shopping for the holidays this year, or any year, take my advice. You can bet that you will have more money left over in your wallet than you did last year.
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