5 Reasons Why Early Holiday Shopping is Smart

Sure, people may make fun of you for having your holiday shopping completed by Thanksgiving, but in reality, the joke is on them. You’ll save yourself a lot of headache and pocket cash if you shop early.

1) Shopping Early Saves you Money.

Some of the best sales roll out around Veteran’s Day. They may be labeled Veteran’s Day sales, or they may be labeled Black Friday Savings. The latest trend for retailers is to roll these Black Friday deals out at the end of October vs. the traditional day after Thanksgiving.

By shopping early, you will also be putting more thought into your gift giving, so you’ll have more time to shop around online and in brick-and-mortar stores to look for the best deals. You’ll be able to budget better and spend a bit out of each paycheck instead of trying to pull hundreds of dollars out of your December checks. After all, who can really afford to do that?

2) You’ll give better gifts.

Let’s face it, the mad dash on Christmas Eve produces less than desirable gifts for your loved ones. Shopping early gives you time to think about what your friends and family might really want. You’ll be able to make a list and shop around for the perfect items. Additionally, custom orders will arrive on time. Make a day of visiting local businesses or shopping small family-run-businesses online to fulfill your holiday shopping list. Not only will your recipient be pleased, you’ll be serving your community and the people that live in it.

3) You’ll have a better selection to choose from.

As Christmas gets closer, shelves become more and more bare. Last year, it seemed like the stores stopped restocking and ran out of many things, especially holiday décor. The prices on hot items shoot up as the time nears as well. When you have your mind set on a particular item, lack of selection and high prices can really put a damper on your shopping plans. If you start your shopping early, you can just worry about one gift at a time and go on several excursions to achieve your goals or spend your efforts on various websites to find just the right thing.

4) Your items will arrive on time and cost less to ship.

Have you ever noticed how expensive shipping has become? If you want things to arrive on-time and must pay for overnight shipping, the shipping costs may be more than the item inside the box. With the popularity of online shopping, FedEx, UPS, etc. are struggling to keep up. If you don’t have your orders out-the-door two weeks ahead of time this holiday season, there is a good chance your packages won’t arrive in time for Christmas. And really, who wants to go stand in the dreaded lines at the post office?

Save yourself some money and headaches by getting your shopping completed early. It will also ensure a timely arrival.

5) Save your sanity!

Save yourself from having to drive all over town on Christmas Eve. Don’t stand in outrageous lines to check out. Don’t get in a fight over the last “hot item” available in the store. Don’t spend two hours at the post office on your lunch break trying to ship everything out. Don’t blow your budget out of the water and wonder how you are going to eat for the next two months.

Do plan ahead, have your list and budget ready, do your research on where to shop and who has the best prices, break your shopping into segments and make sure everything is shipped out early. These simple steps will save your sanity and provide you with a more peaceful Christmas.

Let’s plan ahead and have a good shopping experience this year!

Happy Shopping!