As we usher in the month of Christmas activities, Filipinos who have planned way in advance would most probably have begun shopping earlier – but for those who have yet to do any yuletide shopping, Real Simple suggests the following tips so that you and your pocket will both enjoy the Christmas season together.
Set a budget
It never hurts to remind you of this first tip that’s already cliché’: you should always set a budget for your holiday shopping and stick with it. You should never go beyond your budget but if you can find better ways to go under it, that’s great!
Create a shopping list
Seems like ‘making a list, and checking it twice’ isn’t only for Santa – it’s for the shoppers as well! It’s advised for you to plan who will you be giving gifts to and what kind of gifts will you be buying, no matter how small or big the gift might be. This allows you to estimate the amount of money you’re going to spend.
Do your homework
In case you’re planning to make a big purchase on gadgets that one of your family members or perhaps a dear friend might love – it always pays to do your research either online or perhaps by asking around to get firsthand information about any gadget you’re planning to buy to make sure that what you’re getting will be at great value. When it doubt, always consider to do research first and check several gadget models so that you have several options to choose from.
DIY Ideas
If you’re someone who delves into making good crafts, creating personalized gifts would be a better option as not only will you spend less money on it, the receiver would also be grateful of the time and creativity that you poured on to the gift that you’ll be giving. While this might take a bit more time to do, it would definitely be a rewarding experience.
Take advantage of sales, but avoid emotional shopping
Shopping malls, boutiques, and even online stores will be swarmed with lots of sales – but never delve into the idea of buying something just because it’s cheap – especially if you don’t really have someone in mind to give to. Also, avoid any kind of huge purchases just because it has a huge price slashed off of it – you might end up spending way more than your allocated budget for one gift and just skimp on spending for your other family members and/or friends.
