Nearly half of Americans start their Christmas shopping before November begins. The rest may scoff at this practice, but early shopping is actually a smart strategy. First, decorations are cheaper if you buy them before the season. More generally, early shopping is less of a burden on your finances. Shopping early will spread out the cost of Christmas over several months and help you avoid large credit card balances. Money aside, shopping early also reduces stress. December is a busy month filled with holiday parties and other functions, so removing gift shopping from your to do list can make things a bit easier.
Key Takeaways:
- Decorations can be found inexpensively at this time of year at places like garage sales, thrift stores and eBay.
- You can spread out your purchases more rather than spending a large amount of money just in December.
- You can avoid busy stores and malls and have more time to do other things during the holidays if you finish your shopping early.
“By planning out who you will be shopping for, what you will spend on gifts, and purchasing everything prior to the busyness of the season, you will save yourself time, money, and stress.”