Are you worried about spending too much money on gifts this year? You don’t have to be!
Over the years, I’ve realized just how out of control shopping for my family and friends can be during the holidays. I love trying to find the perfect gifts for those that I love, and the thought of seeing them open them makes me excited.
With that being said, it’s important to not overspend or throw yourself into debt. Not to mention, it’s right before a new year is getting started – so you don’t want to throw yourself behind, friend!
I’m excited to share with you a few super simple and easy tips to prepare for your holiday shopping this year! You can also catch my more in-depth post on how to prepare for Christmas right here!
Set a Budget
It can be so easy to overspend during the holidays! I’ve definitely done that a time or two (or seven!). While it’s always amazing to surprise those dear to your heart with gifts you know they’ll love, setting and sticking to a budget is always best.
Christmas comes once per year, and you don’t want to put yourself into a vicious debt cycle for that.
I’m sure those you’re buying for wouldn’t want that for you, either!
The amount of money you spend total is going to depend on your situation, but make sure to pick a number that won’t affect or interfere with your bills, grocery budget, or other necessities.
Make Wishlists for Each Person
It’s really no secret that I love lists! They are effective and help you stay on track. This is no different when it comes to holiday shopping.
Choose who you will buy for this year and make a list of possible gifts for each of them. This doesn’t mean that you will buy everything on that list, but as you think of things for a particular person, go ahead and jot that down on their particular wishlist.
You could keep this list in your daily planner, or you could put it in a Google Pages document and then you can sync that up with your phone. You’ll have the list everywhere you go, and can easily access it.
I’m a big fan of Amazon and while I don’t buy all my gifts from there, most of them do end up coming from there! The free shipping after $25 is a huge plus for me, and I can find a variety of different items all in one place. I have wishlists created for my closest family and friends and add to it all year round.
Then, I can use it for not just Christmas shopping, but for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
Don’t Buy Everything That’s on Sale
The truth is…it’s not always a sale just because it says it is. I KNOW, it’s not fair! But you can’t trust pricing this time of year (or really any time, but that’s for another post!).
Another benefit of keeping wishlists is that you can track the pricing of the item over a period of time. But if you want to go ahead and buy something right now, do a quick Google search of the item’s name.
You’ll see a row of places where you can buy the item along with their pricing. Then you can see what’s cheaper and from where, and can potentially save a lot of money!
Something that makes it super easy for me when online shopping is the Microsoft Edge Shopping in my web browser. When I’m looking at an item, it automatically pops up with the pricing history of the item and if there’s another place where it’s cheaper at the moment. It also alerts you to coupons, if applicable!
I’ve also installed Honey in the past and it works great as well, in case you don’t use Microsoft Edge as your internet browser.
What are some of the ways that you save money on holiday shopping? I’d love to know!
PSST…since I’m posting this on Halloween weekend (I’m a little kooky!), here’s my list of favorite spooky and down-right scary movies for a fun movie night and how to have the best time if you’re celebrating at home!
Wishing all of you marvelous humans a fantastic day,
So cool 🙂
Thanks so much, Kinga! 🙂
Yes I agree it can be super easy to go overboard. Great advice here. I try and start my holiday shopping in May LOL I like to try and buy one gift a month then by Christmas I am done and not overwhelmed.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
Thank you, Allie. You are absolutely amazing, starting in May is awesome!! Love how you give yourself plenty of time and things are going to be so much cheaper than waiting until the last minute, as well.
Having a list helps! Thanks for these tips!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
It truly does, Lovely! Thanks so much for checking them out. 🙂
Such great tips. It’s never super easy to shop during the holidays. Wishlists always help me a lot to know what I’m gonna buy !
xx
Margot
https://troughthepasturesofthesky.com
I agree, it’s such a busy time of year! So happy you find wishlists helpful too, Margot. Have a wonderful day!
Yes to all of these tips! I need to recognize that I don’t need to buy everything on sale. Can’t believe holiday season is upon us!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
It’s a hard task somedays, my friend, ha ha! Me either, it seems like time has just went by so quickly this year!
These are helpful tips! I haven’t even started shopping yet!
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
Thank you, Jennifer! 🙂 I haven’t either! It’s starting to feel like crunch time now, even though November just started, ha ha.
These are great tips. If we don’t have budget and know what we will bought for everyone we can spent so much when Black Friday came.
Very true, friend! Black Friday is usually a great time to score so many deals, but it’s definitely good to have a game plan ahead of time so you don’t overspend or pick up things that really aren’t needed.
Thanks for sharing these great tips! I start my Wishlist for each person early in the year and then I try to start shopping from the end of the summer, so I can spread the cost out a bit!
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
That sounds fantastic, Julia!! Love that you start in the middle of the year, I imagine that helps a ton with spreading out the money and then you don’t feel rushed towards the end of the year.
Such a great tip not to buy everything that is on sale, sometimes it’s necessary to remind ourselves, LOL. Great tips. xx
https://www.ninakobi.com
Ha ha, you are so right Nina – I have to remind myself every single time!! 🙂 Thanks so much and I hope you have a great day!
These are good tips! i’m definitely guilty of blowing the budget on gifts, haha! I tend to start shopping in the June/July sales and add a little as I go through the months leading up to Christmas, but that usually means I forget what I’ve already bought and buy a bit more than I should, ha! I like spoiling people on Christmas though and it’s doable as the cost is spread over the year. Although I think I really need to stop buying the kids presents, definitely have enough for them already, haha!
Hope that your week is off to a good start 🙂
Thank you so much, Mica! Haha, I can totally understand that. My best friend does something similar and tries to buy things ahead of time, and I think that’s great. The main thing is as long as you can afford it, it’s okay to spoil your loved ones, and especially your kiddos. We don’t have any kids yet, so we just spoil our cats, haha. 🙂
Thank you friend! I hope you’re have an amazing week so far, too! 🙂
This is such a great post! Holiday spending can definitely be overwhelming and stressful. I definitely find myself getting sucked into Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I need to see a budget this season!
Jill
https://jilliancecilia.com/
Thank you so much, Jill! It is VERY easy to do! A budget definitely helps you get more of what you really need/want, and less of what you don’t. 🙂
I overspend every year, especially on my daughter. These are helpful suggestions!
Jill – Doused in Pink
While I’m only a cat momma, I can definitely understand that happening, haha. 🙂 Thanks so much!
I love the idea of making wishlists for the people in your life you need to buy for- so smart to stay focused!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
So happy you loved the idea, Ashley! Have a fantastic day! 🙂
Setting a budget really is the first thing you’ve written that made me chuckle inside, because I am so bad at setting (or rather, following) a budget for anything in life. Holiday season just makes me want to spend, spend, spend!
Ha ha, I totally understand! 🙂 I feel like it’s the most difficult during the holidays because it’s not just about what we want, it’s what we want for others. That always pulls at my heartstrings the most.