Ready or not Christmas is coming. And so is the busiest most expensive shopping season of the year! I’ve put together a list of 3 tips for getting the best deals this Christmas. You need to do these NOW so you do not overspend this Holiday season and are able to find the best Christmas deals.
The shopping season will probably look a little different this year, but these tips still apply. I would guess the majority of the deals will be happening online, which actually makes finding the best deals even easier!
3 Tips for Getting the Best Deals this Christmas
1) Make a List of what everyone wants
This may sound obvious, but don’t start shopping until you have a complete list of what everyone would like. Sit down with a piece of paper and write it all out. Be sure to include EVERYONE you spend money on during Christmas including teachers, mailman, neighbors etc.
If you have kids, get them to work on their lists too. Let them wander the toy aisles and take a picture of the things they want. Don’t forget to include the prices in those pictures!
What to write:
You don’t need to write down exactly what they want- but jot down an idea. For example, I know I want to get my kids something they can play with together inside that will keep them busy during the winter when it gets dark so early in the evenings. I have no idea what this is yet, BUT now that I have an idea of what I’m looking for I won’t be tempted to buy other things.
When to make the list:
You want to try to make your list BEFORE you get distracted by the all the Black Friday ads. Once the ads start taking over the newspapers, tv, and Facebook you’ll be tempted by “great deals”. Sometimes when we see something for a great price, we try to figure out who would want that item. You want to be doing the opposite- figure out what people want and THEN find the deal.
Here’s a great example. On Amazon, you can get the watch pictured below for 89% off. A $400.00 watch for only $52.99. What a great deal! But seriously- does anyone on your list want this watch? I know no one on my list does. Just because it’s a great deal, doesn’t mean you should buy it!
How much do you buy?
I know I cannot get my kids everything they want. We try to stick close to the 4 gift rule. My kids always get Pajamas to wear, I earn books for free through Usborne. The something they need is typically personal hygiene items like shampoo, toothbrush etc. We break the rule a little for “something they want”. Santa usually gives them a want, and we give them a want. They also get a few other random stocking stuffers.
I really think kids will be happier with a few well thought out gifts they really want, rather than several things they didn’t really want in the first place- even though they may have been a “great deal”. I also know my kids are happy when I’m happy and going into debt to buy them stuff will not make me happy 🙂
2) Make your budget
Before you do any shopping you need to know how much money can spend. What do you have saved so far? How much extra after your usual bills will you be able to spend??
The first time you make a Christmas budget will be the hardest, but you can re-use it every year. Be sure to include EVERYTHING like the Christmas tree, extra groceries, gift wrap, travel expenses, gifts, visits to Santa etc.
Put an estimated amount next to each item on your list. You need to work at this until your budget is balanced! You may realize you need to cut a few things from the budget. There have been many years where my husband and I don’t buy each other gifts because we would rather spend that money on family.
Decide what’s important and spend your money accordingly.
What if you have zero money set aside for Christmas??
Going into debt is not the answer. You still have plenty of time to earn extra cash before Christmas. Go back and read my post 10 Quick Ways to Earn Extra Cash. Also- keep your focus on what Christmas is really about.
Curious what my family of 5 budgets for Christmas??
We have $1300 set aside. This includes EVERYTHING- the tree, extra groceries, all the gifts, breakfast with Santa, donations and even extra Christmas lights if needed!
3) Research Prices
What do the items on your list cost now? How are you going to know a great deal if you don’t know the normal price? Add all these prices to your list and see if they fit into your budget. If they don’t go back and re-adjust your list. Remember- you will probably get many of these things on sale BUT be realistic.
Once you have your budget and your list, you are ready to start looking for deals. An awesome tool I highly recommend is called “Honey“. It will track Amazon prices for you, and when the price of an item in your cart drops you get an email. It will also compare Amazon prices to other stores! I would recommend adding everything on your list into your Amazon cart even if you have no plans to buy from Amazon. You can sign up for Honey here: joinhoney.com
Here is an example of the Honey price tracking. A few years ago I was watching the kids Kindle Fire from Amazon. Honey allows you to see the prices for the past 120 days. At the time of the screen shot below, it was $99. I can see it had gone as low as $69.99. The graph tell me I shouldn’t buy when the item is at $99 because it will probably go on sale again.
