ALT-1 Saving Money at Christmas
Christmas is a hectic time of year, and a costly one to boot. True, individual presents may not add up to a whole lot, but five, six, seven, eight gifts at once? The bills become near-astronomical, and more than some families can afford. Yet gifts are expected, and gifts must invariably come.
That doesn't mean, of course, that every present should cost the buyer a fortune. There are plenty of ways to limit the costs of Christmas presents. Here are a few that should at least lower the holiday bills a bit, if not wipe them out completely.
- Probably the easiest way to cut down on Christmas spending is to stick to do-it-yourself (DIY) gifts. These handy presents cost a great deal less if they're properly put together - heck, there may be no costs at all included, depending on the gift - and are often better received than presents churned out of a factory.
- Not everyone can manage DIY presents, however, in which case purchasing is a necessity. Should that be true, the best advice is to start early. Doing so affords the buyer two advantages: a) they have more time to choose the presents, thus allowing them more of an opportunity to hunt down deals at more remote stores or by purchasing online, and b) they're likely to find items cheaper overall. For some stores, Christmas is a time of raised prices.
- As hinted above, it's also a good idea not to buy an item at the first store on the list. The chances are exceedingly good that the item can be found elsewhere at a lower price. True, the cost may be covered in money spent on gas, but not always.
- In some rare cases it's acceptable to get some gifts used, thus reducing the price of the purchase. New video games, for example, often get sold back to stores shortly after the release date, and in almost-new condition to boot. Be wary when pursuing used gifts, however, as it's always possible that the present is defective.
- If possible, shop at stores that offer membership deals. Usually buying into these clubs will reduce the overall price of the items bought there, which can amount to some fair savings over time. Memberships are fairly cheap on average, as well, and may work naturally into the price of a discounted item.
- Keep a close eye on fliers and look for deals and coupons. These are a little rare at Christmas - store owners know that consumers are looking to buy up inventory, and thus they can keep prices high - though deals are far from impossible to find.
- Last, where possible, try to take advantage of in-store discounts held by employees. This requires being friends with an employee working at a particular store, of course, but every little bit helps.
The key, mentioned earlier, is to start early and think strategically. Simply walking into a store days before Christmas hoping for the best will net the buyer some deals, true... though the chances are good that everything they buy will be of little use to the recipient. Not a very happy Christmas, that.
