You know we’re on the cusp of the holiday season when the family text messages start. You know the ones: Who’s bringing what for Thanksgiving? Are we exchanging gifts this year? What time are we eating?
No sooner than the Halloween decorations get packed away then our thoughts take a sharp turn toward gift buying, especially if you’re not the person who shops all year for the holidays.
Boomer’s financial columnist Bill DeMarco sent us these tips to help save time and money this season. Many are familiar, a few are new and all of them are worth a second look, regardless of how many years of holiday shopping you’ve got under your belt.
1. Make a list. Establish an overall budget, then make a list of gifts you will need to buy and how much you can afford to spend on each person.
2. Shop early. If you shop early in the season, items are more likely to be in stock, and you may face fewer shipping delays. Sales often start well before Black Friday, so keep an eye out for promotions. Signing up for online or social media deal alerts can help.
3. Search for deals. Knowing whether a deal is truly good can be tricky, but many websites and phone apps are available that can help you compare items and prices as you shop. Promotions might be limited to certain items and may expire quickly, so read the fine print. Retailers may also match competitor prices on identical items… it doesn’t hurt to ask.
4. Set up accounts. To complete purchases quickly, consider saving your information and shipping addresses on trusted online accounts with your favorite retailers. Look for special offers and coupon codes that you can use at checkout.
5. Track spending. Try using one card for everything so you can quickly review your spending. A rewards card may give you cash back, points or miles that you can redeem in the future but may carry higher interest rates, so avoid making purchases that you can’t pay off by the due date.
6. Watch out for gift card scams. Take precautions to help protect yourself from card-draining scams (where a thief has copied a gift card’s number and security code before it’s been purchased and will drain the card’s value when activated). Buy cards near the register, inspect them for obvious signs of tampering, and check the balance right away. Keep the receipt as proof of purchase, and contact the retailer if you suspect an issue.
7. Reconsider buy now, pay later. Offers for these services may pop up when you’re making an online purchase. Splitting your purchase into smaller payments may be convenient but makes it easier to overspend and rack up debt quickly.
8. Focus on shipping costs. Soaring shipping costs have made free shipping offers especially valuable. If you’re sending your packages, compare carriers because costs vary. Unless you’re using flat-rate shipping, both the size and the weight of the box may factor into how much you’ll pay, so use the smallest packaging you can. Ship as early as possible to avoid having to pay premium rates for one- or two-day shipping. And keep tracking numbers and a copy of receipts for gifts you’ve shipped in case your package is lost or stolen.
