1. How Do You Save Money When You Buy Gifts?
I try to save money by buying gifts year-round, when they are on incredible sale, but that doesn't always work for me. When you like to procrastinate or you simply enjoy getting in the spirit of the holidays when it's the correct season, it can be frustrating to hit the stores during the summers for under-the-tree, by-the-menorah stuff. I usually aim to get all the big stuff during the best sales, but I give myself leeway for the little stuff.
Sometimes I also bring along a super-frugal friend, the type who over-analyzes each item and compares prices until the cows come home. It really makes you realize how much you're actually spending when you take someone along with you who is hyper-aware of prices and value.
2. Do You Enjoy Holiday Shopping?
Do you even LIKE shopping for the holidays? If you always have to wait to shop until the 11th hour, and you jostle with the best of them on Christmas Eve, then probably not. If you're more into the atmosphere rather than the sheer quantity of presents, you might also fair better. Let's put it this way: my sister counts each present and has to have even numbers between all her (teenaged) children. That's not too fun, and she admits it.3. Where Do You Shop the Most?
Do you have a favorite place to buy presents for the holidays? Try to branch out to at least one new shop, online or otherwise. If you love shopping somewhere, you'll find that it's easier to overlook price differences for the sake of atmosphere or convenience. Push yourself to explore, and you might just find an amazing present to give someone... you know, one of those people that's very, very hard to please when it comes to gifts.
I like to go on Google maps and choose my favorite neighborhood, and then select "Search Nearby." When I use this feature, I'm often pleasantly surprised with what pops up on my screen in an easily walkable, very seasonable location.
4. Do You Sew or Make Presents?
Are you crafty? You might not be able to sew a dress from an Advanced Vogue pattern, but maybe you are great at jelly or jam making, or perhaps you are very crafty at decorative items. Even people who aren't very good at building or crafting might find out that they are awesome sketchers, cool cartoonists, or impressionists at heart. Dig down deep and try to save by making someone a special bag.5. Do You Have a Seasonal Shopping Budget?
Setting a seasonal shopping budget is one of the easiest ways to save. If you simply pull out a credit card and plan on stopping when you reach a certain point, you might go over when you find that great deal. Instead of shopping like that, why not try to shop by a cash-envelope system (literally using cash that is in an envelope instead of trying to discipline yourself with a card).
Consider asking your partner or a friend about their ideal holiday shopping budget if you trust them to give an unbiased opinion. Use this as a basis of comparison.
