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Holiday: 21 Ways To Save On Your Holiday Shopping

By: Ven Wheatley

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It's the Holiday season, and everyone is looking for that perfect gift, at a moneysaving price.

Paying a mortgage or rent, car note, utility and phone bill makes it difficult to accomplish your goal of buying the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Before you make the final decision on who stays on your list and who is crossed off the list, consider some of the 21 ways of saving on all your holiday shopping.

These techniques will save you hundreds of dollars on all your shopping. If you use one or all of them, at the end of the holiday season you will realize you kept more of your money, at the same time giving the memorable gifts you wanted to give.

The 21 Ways To Save On Your Holiday Shopping are:

1. Budget: You should create a holiday budget. Even if you don't plan on spending a large amount of money on your shopping, it helps to know how much you plan to spend on everyone on your list.

2. Your Goal: Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. Make a list of the people who are definitely on your list. Next to each person, rank them in order of importance of your getting them a gift.

3. Incremental Goals: Break your shopping goals into short-term and intermediate-term.

4. Be Realistic: When it comes to giving the gifts you want, make sure the gifts you choose to give are realistic.

5. Flexibility: Once you have written your gift giving list, realize that things change and you will have to change with them. If you planned to spend $150 on each person, but something unexpected happens, you may only be able to spend $75 on each person.

6. Plan: Planning is the best way to save. Before you go out shopping, make a list of what you are looking to buy and stick with that list. No impulse buying...

7. Patience: Be patient when it comes to holiday shopping. This means that you need to accept that you are not going to find every gift you plan to buy, at once, and especially at your goal cost.

8. Allowance Expense: It is realistic to have a small allowance account for things that you enjoy around the holidays. Even if on a tight budget, buy something that you enjoy, which could be as simple as buying eggnog, seasonal candy or eating out at your favorite restaurant. So, make allowance for some small indulgences that make the holidays more special.

9. Awareness Of Shopping Triggers: When you are out shopping do you buy things because the news or a popular magazine says it's the must have item for the holiday? Once you can identify these, triggers, then you can learn to have control over them.

10. Don't Give up the Best Stuff: A misconception is that while trying to save on your shopping you have to buy less than premium merchandise, which is untrue. If you love the scent of a fresh Christmas tree, indoor and outdoor holiday lights, special holiday spirits and foods, visit online auctions, below retail sales web sites and watch for local stores huge markdown sales.

11. Choice Gifts: Make sure the thing you want to spend your holiday funds on is a sensible "choice" and not a "frivolous desire."

12. Clear Plan: Create a master plan for your holiday shopping.

13. Outlook: Keep your focus and remain conscious of your goal of saving money on your holiday shopping.

14. Organized: You need to be organized so that you know the exact amount you have allocated for each item you will purchase.

15. Coordinate: If you are shopping as a couple, make sure you and your significant other are working on the same game plan.

16. Holiday Satisfaction: Learn how to be content with giving a choice gift instead of a frivolous gift.

17. Holiday Enjoyment Within Means: The fastest way to get into debt is spending beyond your means. This is where you will be able to really have an enjoyable holiday and save money at the same time.

18. Credit Card Consciousness Spending: I know it can be easy to rack up huge charges on your credit cards with the focus on paying the money back later or over a period of time. Try using your credit cards only for emergency.

19. Holiday Utility Use: Set up some rules in your home, such as, when you will turn on the holiday lights.

20. Buy versus Leased Gifts: I discovered last year that it was more beneficial to purchase my teen daughter an (unlocked) cell phone and then have it serviced through a local cell phone company. This also applies to other electronics, such as, computers. You should buy them rather than lease them over a long period of time.

21. Buying Designer at Discount: It is unrealistic to think that you won't have to buy at least one or two designer gift items for the people on your holiday list. The fact is whether it's a designer handbag or designer fragrance, it is possible to still buy the choicest authentic designer goods through online web sites and sources.

Also, remember to check your receipts and statements for all your holiday purchases. You may believe you are getting an item for the advertised price and only later discover you were overcharged.

The holidays are fast approaching and you don't have to go into this holiday season, without a plan, to save on all your holiday shopping.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Ven Wheatley professionally searches and compiles listings of the best sources for designer goods at a huge discount. www.designer-savings-guide.com

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