If you haven’t seen Christmas decorations and other items in your local stores yet, then my guess is that you’re living outside of the United States, or maybe even the planet. As soon as the back to school items went away (the first week in September!) the Christmas stuff came out. Forget Halloween, those items started being displayed in August.
While all of my friends are hunting for those Candy Corn Oreos that have already sold out, I’m avoiding the stores as much as possible, so I can ignore the Christmas creep. There are a few ways that thinking about buying stuff for Christmas now can cost me more money than I anticipate spending. Here is why.
Forgetting What You Bought
Unless you are super organized and keep obsessive lists, are you really going to remember, in the middle of December, that you already have several rolls of wrapping paper, boxes of fancy cookie mix, enough new ornaments for three trees and presents for Aunt Jane? Double buying is one of the biggest dangers of the Christmas creep. The retailers know that you are likely to buy more if you buy early. Why do you think they put the holiday stuff out so early anyway?
Paying Higher Prices
While some things may look like they are on sale, the best prices on Christmas items come as close to Christmas as possible. As the retail stores get closer to the last shopping days, they get more desperate to sell, and therefore lower the prices. Unless you have items that you have to have so badly that you are willing to pay full price, wait until closer to Christmas to purchase them. One exception are artificial Christmas trees. The better ones never seem to go on sale and are often sold out before Christmas.
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