While waiting until the last minute to complete your holiday shopping can be, admittedly, a little exciting, (my brother-in-law actually enjoys shopping on Christmas Eve), there are some very good reasons to get it all done as early as possible.
Not convinced that shopping early is a good idea? Here are three reasons to consider it this year.
Be Prepared for the Unexpected
If you wind up in a situation with a loss of income or other unexpected issue that impacts your finances (let us say that the furnace suddenly needs to be replaced), you could find yourself without the money to do your Christmas shopping.
Shopping upfront and spread out over time eliminates this issue. You still want to stick with a budget of course, but at least you know that you will be prepared for the unexpected.
Spend Less Money This Season
You will actually spend less money if you shop early. But what about all of those wonderful Black Friday sales? There is a reason that they are so limited and require you to fight the crowds at 3am to get the deal. The stores know they will make out when you wind up having to substitute the deal for a more expensive product or wind up buying a lot of extra things while you are there.
Most people actually do a lot of shopping for themselves on Black Friday. How many of those things that were purchased were actually needed? If you shop online, you may wind up paying extra money for expedited shipping so your gifts get there on time.
There are plenty of sales and bargains out there before the holidays, too. Do your research, use coupon codes, etc.
Have Time to Enjoy the Holiday
Which sounds better: enjoying your family around a warm fire and watching the snow fall or running out to five different stores for your last minute gifts? Watching a holiday movie or spending frustrating hours online trying to grab whatever is left that will be delivered in time for Christmas?
Spend your time remembering the reason for the season instead.
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