Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Week is upon us which marks the official start of Holiday Shopping and this year I wanted to share a post on all my holiday shopping tips to guide you in your online and in store pursuits!
Tip 1: Make a list and check it twice. Aimlessly browsing online or through stores during this season can drain your energy ASAP. So a way to combat this is by making a list of everyone you are planning to give gifts to, and write out what it is you’re planning to gift them. While you don’t have to get super specific, having a general idea of what category you’ll be shopping in will save you time.
Tip 2: Have a budget. This is pretty straightforward. But you can get even more granular by setting aside how much you’ll spend on family, on friends, on significant others, and on kids. Once you set this budget, give yourself a percentage of how much you can go over that budget without feeling like you’ve just spent all your savings. I would say that a 5-8% buffer is ideal.
Ali & Jay Velvet Midi | Zara Velvet Boots (similar)
Tip 3: If you online shopping and don’t use services like RetailMeNot or Honey, then you’re doing yourself a great disservice. RetailMeNot is a site (and mobile app) that allows you to type in a website and check if there are any available online and in store coupons you can use. Honey is a Google Chrome extension that, when clicked on while online shopping, will scour the web for any and every discount code out there. If it finds one, it’ll apply it to your order. And they have a rewards program as well!
Tip 4: If you don’t have an Amazon account…get one. AND sign up for a free 30 day trial of Prime. Right before your trial is up, cancel it (to avoid being charged for the next month), or keep it if you end up loving it. That free 2 day Prime shipping will most definitely come in handy in the case of last minute gifts.
Tip 5: Speaking of last minute gifts, if you find yourself in this predicament, order online on 12/14 and get free shipping at every online retailer. Why? Well, it’s national free shipping day so you can take full advantage of those additional savings!
Tip 6: A lot of credit companies have cash back incentives when you use your credit card, so now is the best time to either open a credit account or use your card to get those extra dollars! And using your credit card (and paying it back on time) is a great way to show good credit practice (If you want a more in-depth read on being financially savvy, click here).
Tip 7: PRICE CHECK. PRICE CHECK. PRICE CHECK. You want to make sure you’re getting the best deals so this step will ensure that you don’t leave the store feeling like you just lost a bet. The Amazon app has a price checker that’ll scan the barcode of an item and show you how that price compares to other retailers.
Those are my top 7 holiday shopping tips that should help get you through this season! Thanks for reading along!
Until next time…
All Photography by Kristen Ashley
