MEGA Monday!

All the predictions are that today, being the last Monday before December, will see the biggest online spend ahead of Christmas (in the UK at least).  Buying online is certainly easy and most people feel secure about it these days and it definitely beats trudging through stores crammed with people.

Because it is so easy to browse web pages and make your selections means it’s even more important that you consider very carefully how you buy if money is tight.  Here are a few tips to stop your online Christmas present shopping becoming too expensive.

Plan Your Shop

Before you even look at a computer screen sit down with a pen and paper and work out how much you have to spend and what you have to buy.  When thinking about presents think about how much you can afford for each person (also look at Worried About Christmas?).  Now your budget is set think about what you would like to get each person and make a note of that – the last thing you want to do is spend hours aimlessly browsing shopping sites.

Compare Prices

Using your favorite search engine and shopping sites work through your list one by one and find the right present for each person.  Make sure you know whether the price includes appropriate taxes or not.  Think about postage and packaging charges too, they can be high especially if you need a quick delivery.  Bookmark or make a note of what you think you want to buy. 

Most if not all shopping sites have a Shopping Cart of some description.  Use it to save those items you are pretty sure you might buy.

*** Now log off all your sites and turn off your computer ***

Have a Break

It’s so important to have a break from all this shopping and let your brain have a rest.  Have lunch, a coffee, a walk – whatever it is that helps you relax and stop thinking about shopping for Christmas presents.

Check Again Before Buying

Now go back and look at what you’ve written down against each person.  How is your overall budget holding up, will everything arrive in time and how much in total are you paying out for postage?  These are just a few questions to consider.  And, perhaps one final question – could you get any of your chosen items locally and cheaper?

Buy Your Presents

Once you’ve got this far the process of buying each present is straightforward and you can do it with the confidence that the selections you have made make sense financially.  Let’s hope too that the selections you have made meet with the approval of your family and friends – they’re bound to of course.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money! 

Worried About Christmas?

There’s no doubt about it, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times of the year.  Travelling to see family, getting presents for friends and family and parties.  Far too often people come out of Christmas in more debt than they went into it.  Now that’s not good at the best of times but in the current economic climate it’s absolute madness.

To ensure that doesn’t happen to you here are a few pointers for making your Christmas a happy, stress-free and financially neutral event.

1. Decide Who To Give Presents To

This should only be family and close friends.  Make your list and decide what you’d like to get each person, then set a budget for presents – and stick to it!

Remember: you can make presents too – it really is the thought that counts.

2. Decide Which Parties To Go To

Sometimes there are too many to choose from or maybe you are expected to go to some parties and meals that you’d rather not go to.  Whatever your situation, you need to decide early on which ones to go to and set a budget for each of them.  Your budget has to include what, if anything you need to buy such as new clothes.  Remember this though, people invite you to parties – not your clothes, so you are allowed to wear what you already have!

3. Decide What You Want For Christmas Day Itself

Is it just you, you and family or you and a large group of family or friends.  Whatever your celebration you know you will have to cater for it (unless you decide to eat out, but that will really cost you).  Again, set a budget, decide what you need to buy and shop around.  There are many deals in supermarkets in the run up to Christmas, encouraging you to buy early or buy in bulk.  If you don’t need huge quantities of something that’s on offer, buy with a friend so you both make a saving.

The only way to not increase your debt during the Christmas celebrations, or during any other one for that matter is to, yes, you’ve guessed it,  SET A BUDGET.  Pick a figure that you know you can afford and put the effort into planning for a great Christmas for you, your family and your friends.

Spend a little time to save a lot of money!