It’s Gift Shopping Time, But There Are Tricks To Save Money

It's crunch time for gift buying.  Have I started shopping for Christmas or Husbando's birthday? Absolutely not. BUT, Here are four mind tricks that will help you spend less during the last-minute rush.

It's so easy to get caught up in the whole holiday shopping thing.  My sister starts shopping for Christmas in the SUMMER.  Me, I know I should probably start thinking about it soon, but I have done nothing.  Nothing, I tell you.  Part of the reason for that is that if I start buying early, I'll think, "Oh, okay, I'm done"... until I see something ELSE that that person might want.  So I'll have to get that too.  And then, it just spirals and spirals and before you know it my credit card is wagging its fictional finger at me.  So I'm trying to be economical, practical.  Trying to keep it simple, you you know? And it's not impossible, turns out!  Here are a few things I've done over the years to try to cut down on the impulse buying come Holiday time.

1.  Use the "10-second" rule.  Whenever you're about to buy something, hold it for ten seconds and ask yourself if you really need it or if that money could be better used on something else.

It's especially helpful for stocking stuffers, since it's easy to get carried away with small, inexpensive presents.

2.  Go cash-only.  Research shows that people spend a LOT more when using credit cards instead of cash.  So if you want to keep your spending in check, try bringing only cash to the store. This one is hard for me, and it may not be something you can do This year, what with the pandemic and everything, but maybe tuck that one away for next year.

3.  Shop alone.  The more people you bring along, the easier it becomes to impulse buy.  This is so true when it comes to Husbando.  We'll go out to shop for, say, his daughter Laney.  We'll end up leaving the store with five things that he "needs" and maybe one thing for her.

4.  Take fewer shopping trips.  The more time you spend shopping, the more money you'll spend.  So take fewer trips to the mall, and limit the number of stores you go into altogether.

Have you started your Christmas shopping? How much have you bought? Do you have a budget for your shopping?

Shoppingly yours,
Behka