HOLIDAY SHOPPING HACKS
Is anyone else annoyed how Christmas decorations are up before HALLOWEEN?!?!?!?! Ugh, SO annoying!!! Come on, thanksgiving is totally getting robbed. And now the “black Friday” sales start the week of (and some the week before) thanksgiving. It feels like things start earlier and earlier as everyone is just trying to get ahead and fit in all the JOY of the holiday season. Personally, it’s too much and creates this sense of urgency and FOMO in our society that is ridiculous. In all honesty, I have to “manage myself” in not buy into all of this craziness. When I start getting all anxious about things, I have to remind myself of the following to keep me grounded in the Holidaaaazzzze:
· Don’t get hypnotized by the sales. Make a shopping list and stick to it. It’s simple, but the hard part is sticking to it.
· Shop Online. For the gifts you know exactly what you want, do it online. It saves you the chance to be tempted by the sales and therefore adding in a few things for yourself when you were suppose to be Holiday Shopping.
· Price Match. Retailers have to be SUPER competitive these days, so if you have taken the time to price shop don’t be afraid to ask for a price match if you happen to be in the store and want to pick it up there.
· Shop during your “prime time.” For me, that’s first thing in the morning. I’m well rested, fueled and in the right mind set. No chance for me to make rash expensive decisions. Definitely try to avoid late night shopping and especially late night DRUNK shopping. Trouble!!!!
· Call stores to see if they have your item in stock. Because it feels like the time we spend running errands in the month of December doubles, save yourself the time by calling ahead to make sure they have the item in stock.
· Ebates. If you haven’t signed up yet, do it now. You basically earn $$$ when you shop online. There’s nothing else to it. My BFF told me about this for a year before I finally did it. Trust me, it’s worth the 5 minutes of your time to sign up. Here’s the link https://www.ebates.com/r/ELIZAB25714?eeid=28187
· Sales all month long. As I mentioned before, don’t get hypnotized by Black Friday Sales. We will continue to see sales (and great ones!!!) all month long. So take your time shopping.
· Read the return policy. These may seem obvious but it’s important because it’s so easy to waste $$$ because we didn’t realize the return window and we missed it. Or it’s a FINAL sale. Just a friendly reminder to check on the return policy.
· Don’t purchase unless 40% off or more, unless you need it right now. SO many retailers have incredible mark downs so why be enticed by a measly 20% sale. I do understand that you sometimes need something right now regardless of a sale, but if you can wait for the larger percentage off it’s better.
· Stock up on the essentials. If you have extra cash after you have shopped for everyone, now is a great time to stock up on your essentials for your wardrobe. Cashmere, undies, winter coat, boots, etc. It’s a really smart time to purchase your winter wardrobe. And if you can’t this year, plan ahead for next year!
HAPPY smart shopping!!!
Elizabeth