During what is the most consumerist time of year, people find themselves spending more money than they have. What may seem like a big ticket item in July, looks like a bargain in December. According to the 2009 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $682.74 on holiday-related shopping, a 3.2 percent drop from last year’s $705.01. The holidays are a time to celebrate, not to stress about gift giving. However, many people rack up thousands of dollars of debt during this time of year. Here are a few practical tips to save time, money and avoid the holiday debt hangover:
DO
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Set spending limits and properly plan – if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
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Make gift giving fun; pull names from a hat instead of buying everyone a gift.
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Beware of scams and fraud during the holidays. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Shop online and look for free delivery specials.
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Give gifts that require your time and talent: Baby-sitting, lawn mowing, home decorating and cleaning certificates are often more appreciated than store-bought items.
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Black Friday shopping – It may be hard to find a parking spot but the deals retailers offer are unsurpassable
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Look for deals. Buy the Sunday paper and use coupons.
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DON’T
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Use or open new credit cards just to purchase gifts
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Use Layaway – they often charge fees to hold merchandise.
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Take out loans to purchase gifts.
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Make impulse buys.
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Wait until the last minute to shop.
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Rely on anticipated bonuses, raises, and tax refund checks when making spending decisions.
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Cool Links to help even more with saving:
Purchase a $50 gift certificate for $25 http://www.tampabayhalfoff.mediawebconnect.com/
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