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The 8 Keys for Successful Holiday Shopping

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Katherine Suazo Student Contributor, University of South Florida
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Justine Figueroa Student Contributor, University of South Florida
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The winter holiday is usually the time of year where life gets a bit expensive, especially for a college student. With buying gifts, traveling home or going on vacation somewhere, our pockets and bank accounts can get pretty empty. Generally a young college student doesn’t have much money to begin with, so trying to figure out how to buy quality presents without breaking the bank is a challenge.

 

Here I am providing you a list of advice for when you start trying to do your holiday shopping efficiently. I suggest you start soon so that you are able to buy you gifts little by little. I hope you find this useful!

 

  1. Make a plan. Don’t wait until the last minute to try to cram your shopping or you will end up spending more money then you intend to. Instead, make a plan (now is the good time to start) and in your plan create a holiday gift budget. Then you can make a list of all the people whom you intend to buy gifts for.
  2. Set a cost limit. Setting a cost limit per person will help you stay within your budget. This will also help you narrow down your search for items that are roughly around the price you set, for example $5.00. 
  3. Choose your gifts. Deciding on these items before you leave your dorm, apartment or house will help you stay on track. These presents do not necessarily need to be expensive tangible items like perfumes, clothes, or shoes (although they could be if you can afford it.) Try to buy less expensive things that are still good in quality like picture frames, mugs, lotions, nail polish or even pastries and baked goods. Your gift can also be a service if you are good at something, such as drawing a picture on an inexpensive poster board or styling a friend’s hair.
  4. Don’t forget to stay within your budget. Trust me, I know how it is when something else looks cuter but is obviously more expensive. If it’s not in your budget, don’t buy it. Refer back to #2.
  5. Determine how you will shop. Some people, like me, prefer shopping in stores to test out products and actually hold them. Other people prefer online shopping to avoid lines. Whatever you’re comfortable with, do it.
  6. Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. You can find many deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For Black Friday, do your research. Make sure to check out the catalogs that stores provide to see what is on sale and what deals are available. Know what stores you want to visit before leaving home. Be careful with being sucked into buying other things just because its Black Friday. Been there, done that. Definitely suffered the consequences. NOT EVERYTHING is discounted on Black Friday, remember that. Cyber Monday is perfect for you online-shopping lovers. I find Cyber Monday to be more sales and deals filled, but that’s my own opinion, and you can shop in the comfort of your own home. Yay pajamas!
  7. Coupons. Gather as many coupons as you can. However, make sure that they are useful in the items you intend to purchase. Do not leave your house without them! They are useful when trying to save money. This might even help you stay UNDER your budget.
  8. Homemade gifts. If you are crafty or feel like being artsy then make homemade gifts. Even if it costs you close to no money at all to make them, your friends and family will appreciate the thought, time and effort you put into those gifts. Some ideas are body scrubs, candles, jewelry or Christmas ornaments (check out Michael’s – don’t forget the coupons!)
 
 
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Katherine Suazo

USF

I am a senior at the University of South Florida. I am majoring in advertising. My favorite things are beauty, fashion, entertainment, food and travel.
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Justine Figueroa

USF

Justine is a recent graduate of the University of South Florida. She received her B.A. in mass communcations in spring 2014. She was the 2013-2014 Campus Correspondent for Her Campus USF.She was also a News & Feature Writing Intern for College of Arts and Sciences and the Public Relations Campus Rep for Rent the Runway at USF. She is currently seeking agency experience and would love to someday work for a magazine, become a novelist, poet, editor, host of a Travel Channel show and much more.  She enjoys writing about fashion, beauty, art, literature, pop culture and student life. She spends most days listening to Lana del Rey, calming her nerves with various types of cheese, being sassy and trying to figure out when she can take a nap.Check out her website and portfolio here.She'd love you forever, if you followed her on Twitter @tinafigs_.Contact Justine regarding business inquires only at justinefigueroa@hercampus.com.