As the holiday season approaches, the daunting task of buying Christmas presents takes over our minds as we plan around each family members' wish list, shop in crowded department stores and budget for the extra expenses at the end of the year. When you look at the holiday to do list, it's easy to get lost in the business and forget about the true meaning of the season. But you shouldn't have to sacrifice precious holiday time with your loved ones or scrape up money from other things in your life just to get the right gifts. There are some unique shopping destinations for you to take advantage of to make the season smoother that won't destroy your budget.
1. You may already do some of your shopping online to reduce your time out in the wild shopping centers and malls, but there may be some deals that you are missing out on. Most people avoid subscribing to email lists like it's a plague so their inboxes don't fill up with spam, however, sometimes that spam can get you great prices. Create a new email account that is just for your shopping needs and use it to sign up for every relevant mailing list out there and you will inevitably receive some welcome discounts or credits. After the holiday season is over you can simply unsubscribe from the email lists or delete your email account if you don't need it anymore and you have no more spam to deal with the rest of the year.
2. Just because all of the major stores have discounts on Black Friday doesn't mean that there aren't other places that have good deals on other days. Try visiting a local market during the holiday season. Many markets fill booths with local shops or craftsman to replace the produce that is out of season. The prices at these small retailers are very reasonable and you can get one of a kind gifts for your friends or family. You could stop by after work one day and avoid the weekend crowd and it beats having to cruise around a mall parking lot for 20 minutes just to find a parking spot.
3. Many folks feel like gift cards are not a personal gift and they avoid purchasing them because they want to get their loved ones a gift that shows how thoughtful they are. This doesn't have to be the case. Instead of simply purchasing a gift card to a particular store or restaurant, get a gift certificate for a service that is specific to that person. If your sister always does her own nails to save money, get her the gift of a pedicure or manicure at the nearest salon. If your dad loves taking care of his car but is getting a bit old to be doing it himself, get him a certificate for detailing at his local body shop. The best part about this is that you can usually get a location to mail the gift certificate right to you so you don't have to mess with any crowds!
1. You may already do some of your shopping online to reduce your time out in the wild shopping centers and malls, but there may be some deals that you are missing out on. Most people avoid subscribing to email lists like it's a plague so their inboxes don't fill up with spam, however, sometimes that spam can get you great prices. Create a new email account that is just for your shopping needs and use it to sign up for every relevant mailing list out there and you will inevitably receive some welcome discounts or credits. After the holiday season is over you can simply unsubscribe from the email lists or delete your email account if you don't need it anymore and you have no more spam to deal with the rest of the year.
2. Just because all of the major stores have discounts on Black Friday doesn't mean that there aren't other places that have good deals on other days. Try visiting a local market during the holiday season. Many markets fill booths with local shops or craftsman to replace the produce that is out of season. The prices at these small retailers are very reasonable and you can get one of a kind gifts for your friends or family. You could stop by after work one day and avoid the weekend crowd and it beats having to cruise around a mall parking lot for 20 minutes just to find a parking spot.
3. Many folks feel like gift cards are not a personal gift and they avoid purchasing them because they want to get their loved ones a gift that shows how thoughtful they are. This doesn't have to be the case. Instead of simply purchasing a gift card to a particular store or restaurant, get a gift certificate for a service that is specific to that person. If your sister always does her own nails to save money, get her the gift of a pedicure or manicure at the nearest salon. If your dad loves taking care of his car but is getting a bit old to be doing it himself, get him a certificate for detailing at his local body shop. The best part about this is that you can usually get a location to mail the gift certificate right to you so you don't have to mess with any crowds!