6 Ways to Save Money on Christmas Presents Now

posted on December 18, 2014 13:36

You’ve missed the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Christmas is a few days away and you still haven’t purchased any gifts. Now what?

Don’t panic.

You can still avoid busting your pocket. Here are some great ways to save money on Christmas shopping:

Make a list – You’ve heard the age old adage “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” In order to successfully avoid the Christmas debt pitfall, you need to make a list of the persons you are buying gifts for and determine how much money you can realistically spend on gifts. Your gift budget should be a part of your overall Christmas budget and factor in December expenses. In listing the persons and weighing costs, you may have to trim your list.
Use Secret Santa to your advantage – You’ve probably been a part of a Secret Santa pool (aka gift exchange) in the past. To save some money, Secret Santa may be a good option. The reason why Secret Santa is so popular is because persons are able to save money by buying a gift for only one person usually within an affordable price range. You may wish to adopt Secret Santa at work, and/or with your family and friends to cut down on costs.
Catch the sales – It’s going to take a little research, but there are still many sales that you can capitalise on. Shop around for the best deal on items within your budget. If you dare to try and purchase gifts online, be sure to check for stores and local shipping companies’ deadlines for ordering to ensure timely delivery of Christmas presents.
Gift DIY presents – Utilise your creative talents and make personalised, do-it-yourself gifts. These may include edible goodies such as tarts and candies, or crafty gifts such as photo collages. Google provides a host of great ideas for homemade gifts.
Gift a helping hand – To cut down on costs, you may wish to gift your loved ones some help. Babysitting is always needed for busy parents and assistance with around-the-house projects is always welcomed. Determine tangible needs of your loved ones and offer your assistance as a gift. To spruce up your gift, you can even make little gift vouchers which should be presented to redeem the gift of your time.
Purchase gifts in January – What’s Christmas without presents on Christmas day? If you dare to deviate from the norm, you may wish to hold out purchasing hot ticket items until January, when prices drop. If this is your choice, make sure to inform everyone accordingly.