Do you promise yourself every year that you’ll start and finish your holiday shopping early, only to end up paying for rush shipping and battling crowds just days before Christmas? You might not want to pull up your sleigh curbside just yet, as last-minute shopping often leads to overspending, stress and missed seasonal deals.
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Don’t move yourself to the naughty list just yet, as with a little giddy-up this week, you can save money, avoid debt and enjoy a stress-free holiday season. Here are five tips to do it and keep your budget intact.
1. Make a Shopping List, Check It Twice
Make a physical list of people you need to buy gifts for right now. Don’t keep this information all in your head; you don’t want to forget about someone important at the last minute. The physical list — either on a sheet of paper or in a spreadsheet — will help guide you this week and keep tabs on what you have and haven’t bought.
The holidays are a time of giving and thanks, but also remember — don’t overdo it. Instead, be realistic when making your list and only give what you can truly afford.
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2. Build a Budget and Stick To It
Making a budget is imperative to the success of your timely holiday shopping. Track your spending to ensure you’re not overspending. If you haven’t made a budget to follow before, use a budget template to get started.
Try spacing out your expenditures per item. For example, if you have a budget of $500, you need to cover over 20 presents, which means you have a cap of $25 per present. You could keep this budget in a separate bank account that you only touch when holiday shopping.
3. Ask People What They Really Want
Save money and time by skipping the guessing game. Sure, you might be able to recall that one thing your cousin mentioned she wanted back in January, but your guesses might be off, and that’s a waste for everybody. Instead, just be upfront with those closest to you and ask what’s on their wish lists.
With your master list of names and the gifts they really want in hand, start some online research and price checking to do a quick comparison for the best deals available. Do a quick search of the item you are looking for and then click on the shopping tab to compare prices with ease.
4. Don’t Wait for the Best Deals
Inaction now will lead to stress later. With a limited budget, the temptation is to always look for the very best deal. Remember, however, that the best deals might not pop up until the very last minute, giving you no time to ship items or relax and enjoy the holiday season.
Part of being a successful holiday shopper is acknowledging trade-offs. With the right mindset and strategy in place, you’ll be able to afford everything you want this holiday season. If you stick to your budget you’ve created, and it permits you to pay full price for a gift, then, by all means, do it.
5. Be Lazy
Avoid all that stress that usually comes with Christmas shopping and just buy everyone on your list a gift card. Don’t think of your gift card as a cop out, though. Gift cards can be purchased at variable amounts, allowing you to easily stay within your budget.
Plus, you can still be creative with gift card presents. They can be purchased online from almost any retailer, even small boutiques. Shop from home at any time of day and introduce someone to your favorite shop or restaurant.
Priscilla Aguilera contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: It’s the Last Week To Avoid Stressful, Last-Minute Holiday Shopping: 5 Ways To Make It Happen
