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I know it is only July and the kids just got out of school, but you should be thinking about Christmas in July and start shopping now. This will allow you to save more money while still getting all the great gifts that you want to for your loved ones.
It is wonderful to get someone what they like and even better to get it at a discount. Buying early will allow you to shop for the best discounts and not running the risk of something being out of stock closer to Christmas. Yes there are those few toys that the kids tell you at the last minute that they want. If you feel that you absolutely must get those just leave a little bit of the Christmas budget for the last minute gifts. You still won’t be running all over town with everyone else.
The key here is that you need to know what everyone wants and what your budget is.
It will seem very strange if you ask someone what they want for Christmas in July. I can imagine the looks on their faces and what they will say. So you might want to get gifts that you know are practical and not trendy. Things that you know they can use and will want.
If someone loves lotions or perfume, maybe pots and pans, these are great gifts to look for early. You can watch the sales and see what great price you can get. Is there a chance that around Christmas it will be cheaper? Yes of course, but what are the odds of you getting that price? Usually those extremely low prices are on limited quantity and if it’s an in store only item you will need to fight the crowds. This is all avoided by getting it done early. I love using CamelCamelCamel to track prices. This should be in your money saving arsenal when planning your Christmas shopping.
You should also think about what everyone on your list talks about. Pay attention. Have you heard someone say I always wanted one of those? That is your cue as to the perfect gift. They will likely forget that they ever said anything. Plus they will appreciate that you were listening. Bonus points.
If there are any gifts that are the perfect gift, but are a little out of your price range you should consider going in on it with others. It may not be as fun for them to have only one gift from two or three people, but it will be just what they wanted. Plus if you are shopping early for it you will hopefully get the best possible price.
Your budget can’t be forgotten. You need to think about the max you will spend for everyone. When you are starting early there is just more time to spend more money. If you don’t keep a list and know your numbers you will likely spend too much. This doesn’t benefit you at all. Your budget should be split into two, an overall budget and a budget per person.
Since some people like a coworker won’t get as much as your kids or significant other splitting up the budget helps. It may also help you determine if you will get someone something at all. Yes there are times that we just need to reduce the list of people who get gifts. It’s not that we don’t want to, but you can’t give more than you have money wise.
What you can do is give them something else. Maybe you can offer to shovel their snow a few times over the winter or clean gutters in the spring. These are gifts of time and can be more appreciated than a sweater. I am sure that a card with a note inside letting them know what you are able to do for them will mean as much as something bought from a store.
There is another option which is not giving gifts at all.
