Christmas isn’t on the mind for many families until towards the end of November. Many families wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to complete their shopping. Some may complete it all at once and some may complete it throughout the end of November and during the month of December. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars all at once to complete your Christmas shopping, why not shop throughout the year?
First, you’ll want to make sure you have your list ready of people that you need to buy for throughout the year. Then, create a budget of how much you’ll be spending for each person, and what he/she may like or want.
How to Shop for Christmas Presents Throughout the Year (Instead of All At Once) AND Save Money, Too!
1. Shop for 1-2 People Each Month
If you set aside money each month for 1-2 people on your list, chances are, you won’t go into a huge amount of debt by getting all of your shopping completed month by month. Budget for about $50-$100 a month for 1-2 people and do this each month until you are finished shopping.
2. Shop the Clearance Section Online or in Stores
Just about every store has a clearance aisle. You can score some pretty great items at a low price on the clearance racks. If you see items on the shelves that you think your recipient will like, purchase the items and put them in the gift closet and save them for Christmas. You can also find great clearance items online.
If you have any accounts earning rewards points, use your rewards points for Christmas presents! This includes any credit or debit card rewards from Swagbucks or Ibotta, etc. If you are like me and you have joined several different rewards programs, I encourage you to keep an excel sheet with your programs and amount earning listed so that you don’t forget about your extra cash! Every bit of cash adds up.
4. Re-Gift
If you have new items sitting around your home unopened, consider putting them away for someone that may need or want it. Just make sure you don’t give it back to the same person that gave it to you! Re-gifting is not a bad idea if you know you don’t love the item or if you know you’ll never use it.
5. Shop for Brand New Items at Thrift Stores
You can find brand new items at thrift stores at a low price. You’ll be able to tell since the items usually still have the tag hanging on them or the item is still in the box. You’ll pay way less for the item at a thrift store than you would at a retail store.
6. Shop the Deals at Amazon
I check the Deals at Amazon throughout the year to see if there’s anything that would make a great Christmas gift. Amazon is my favorite go-to place for most of my holiday shopping needs!
Remember, you don’t have to go into debt in December because of Christmas gifts. If you plan your shopping ahead of time and complete your shopping throughout the year, you’ll save money and have all of your shopping done early. Then, you can enjoy a less stressful holiday season!