Each year, the festive season can have a huge impact on our bank accounts and our stress levels. Don’t get caught out over-spending on last minute purchases, rather than enjoying the holiday fun. We’ve pulled together our top tips to take the worry out of Christmas shopping and to help prevent the January blues:
Subscribe and get social
Ordering online? Hop over to the retailer’s social media pages and sign up to their mailing list. Brands often send out discount codes and vouchers to new customers. Don’t ignore pop-ups either – be vigilant to spot those savings!
Abandon your cart
Savvy online retailers have processes in place to help encourage you to complete your purchase. You can use this to your advantage.
Start by registering with the store, logging in to your account before adding your chosen items to your cart. Then simply close the page and abandon your purchase. Later, you might then receive an email from the retailer with an incentive or discount code to help try and tempt you into completing your purchase.
Online discounts
You’ll normally notice a ‘Promocode’ box at the checkout stage of your online purchases. Take 5 minutes before you complete your purchase to try and hunt down a discount code on Google. These little tricks can add up to huge savings in the long run!
Compare pricing
Prefer shopping IRL? If you’ve found the perfect gift in your local store, make sure you know you’re getting the best deal. A quick Google search will make it easy to compare pricing and help you save. Online research is a great tool when trying to save.
Make a list
And check it twice… It may seem simple but creating a gift list to refer to throughout your shopping trips will help prevent you from being distracted by the hundreds of tempting products you don’t need! Take some time out one evening and jot down the friends and family that you’ll be buying for and what you plan on giving them.
Budget
Again, an obvious tip but it’s easy to get carried away with an unmissable deal. Work out how much you are comfortable spending on presents overall and divide it amongst your gift list. Ensure you update it and keep an eye on everything you’re spending.
If you’re a tech fan, there are a range of free apps available that make it easy to track your spending.
It’s the thought that counts
Clichéd but accurate. Although thoughtful gifts may take more time, they tend to have the most impact. Think outside the box and ensure your purchases will mean something. Consider donating to a charity on someone’s behalf or get creative and set up a unique experience for your loved one.
Don’t forget that the festive season should be about more than the gifts! Take stock and enjoy the holidays!
Struggling with debt this Christmas?
Talk you one of our advisors about debt consolidation loans which allow you to organise your existing debts into one set repayment. Give us a call on 1300 359 245 or send us a message.
