The holidays are full of love, laughter and lots of hope for the new year to come, but it can easily become quite stressful when it’s time to purchase gifts for your loved ones — especially if you’re on a budget. However, finding the perfect gift for a reasonable price shouldn’t give you too much anxiety if you plan accordingly. Here are a few tips to get you on the right track to your gift shopping journey.
Start Early
If you begin your shopping earlier, it will give you more time to buy items little by little (especially if you’re on a budget), relieve that last minute anxiety, and it will ensure that your items will arrive on time if you decide to shop online. A good tactic when starting early is to purchase gifts over time so that you don’t end up spending your entire paychecks on gifts and be left with nothing. Instead, start early and purchase a gift or two over time so that by the time the holidays roll around, you will be set and your wallet will be thanking you.
Amazon Prime
If you end up buying your gifts a little later than expected, you should definitely consider purchasing them from Amazon. With Amazon Prime, your items can be shipped to you for free within two days. Amazon Prime Now is also another option for items available near your location that can be delivered within hours.
Buy Bundles
A lot of the times when buying gifts, especially for friends, it is best to buy bundles in which you can save a lot more rather than splurging on individual items. For example, Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret have a wide selection of candles, beauty scents, etc. that you can purchase as gift sets. These are usually on sale and can save you a good amount of time and money. If you’re feeling crafty, you can even make your own bundle basket with your loved one’s favorite items. Groupon is also a great option for deals on a variety of gifts such as electronics, restaurants, and adventurous experiences.
Take Advantage of Sales
If you’re into the craze behind Black Friday, you may get a hold of the best deals of the season, especially for larger expensive items such as electronics. Even if you’re not interested in spending long hours at the mall on this specific day, you can always skip out and take advantage of Cyber Monday, which is basically the online version of Black Friday and takes place the Monday following Thanksgiving. You can get a glimpse of which stores are expected to provide the best deals this season here.