Preparing for the Holidays without the Stress

It’s November, which means that holiday season is upon us. In recent years, businesses have been pushing holiday sales, especially Black Friday. This has encouraged shoppers to make holiday purchases well in advance to save money. But it also cuts into holiday time that many feel should be spent with families.

Does holiday time seem overwhelming or hectic? Or maybe you wonder how you can pay for presents for everyone on your list? If you are stressing out over your budget, or how to balance school or work with holiday preparations, there are ways you can make your job easier.

·      Pay cash for everything. You shouldn’t take on debt to buy presents, so using only cash keeps you from spending money you don’t have. Don’t take more money with you than you’re really prepared to spend.

·      Write down a list of all the gifts you are going to buy and which stores you will need to visit to find what you are looking for. Stay away from stores not on your list and don’t buy extra presents just because they’re on sale.

·      Try DIY (Do-It-Yourself) gifts. Maybe you are not a big crafter, but DIY gifts are an excellent way to save money; and besides, a homemade present could be especially meaningful to someone because you made it just for them.

·      Have a gift exchange. You might not need to buy a gift for everyone you know. If your family and friends are having a holiday party, a gift exchange will save everyone money. Each of you can draw one other person’s name from a basket and buy a present for him or her. This can be a fun way to exchange gifts, and everyone in your group will get something chosen just for them.

Black Friday sales can save you money, but there are other ways to avoid paying full price. Look on several stores’ Web sites for the best prices and to find out which stores are selling what you want to buy. You might find a lot of what you want at the big box stores, but do not forget Small Business Saturday—two days after Thanksgiving—because you could find unique gifts for your loved ones. And you will be supporting small businesses in your area.

READERS, what do you think?

1.     Have you started thinking about holiday shopping? If yes, what have you done so far?

2.     What are your thoughts on holiday shopping and promotions advertised before Thanksgiving? What do you think about Black Friday and other early sales?

3.     What other preparations do you need to make for the holidays? What are you going to do to reduce the stress and make the most of time with family and friends?

References:

Bodnar, J. (2008, November). Ten Holiday Shopping Tips. Kiplinger.com. Retrieved November 9, 2015, from http://www.kiplinger.com/article/spending/T062-C000-S001-ten-holiday-shopping-tips.html.

Leinbach-Reyhle, N. (2015, November 3). Early Black Friday Savings Are Here in a Big Way, But Should You Start Buying? Forbes. Retrieved November 3, 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/nicoleleinbachreyhle/2015/11/03/early-black-friday-savings-are-here-in-a-big-way-but-should-customers-begin-to-buy/.