Each year, the holiday shopping season starts a little earlier, and this year is no different. With Halloween behind us, major retailers began holiday sales this week to officially kick it off.
There’s no doubt that there will be steep discounts during “Deals Week” leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but these traditional shopping holidays are no longer the only times to find sales. In fact, there are a number of advantages to starting your shopping early. Here are six reasons to begin making your list and crossing it off now:
Great selection:
In the beginning of November, the shelves are fully stocked and stores are bright and shiny with holiday displays. If you have an item on your shopping list that is a specific brand or model, you might not want to risk waiting until the last minute to buy it. Especially for the hot, in-demand gifts, buy them right away or at least keep an eye on the price early with a price tracking app. If you notice a discount, grab it.
Time to create a budget:
One of the biggest culprits for overspending is not starting with a budget. If you’re already thinking about your shopping list, you have the advantage of planning ahead and setting a spending cap. When you start buying later, you may fall victim to a sense of panic that you’re running out of time, or that you need to grab “doorbuster” items before they run out.
Spaced out spending:
A major advantage to earlier shopping is spacing out your spending. You may want to pick up your specific items now, then hit the stores or the web to take advantage of serious discounts during Deals Week. Finish up the season with rock bottom prices on stocking stuffers and generic items in December. This way, you can spread out your expenses across multiple pay periods. That can help you reduce the cost of taking on any credit card debt, which can be a big burden come January. No one wants to transition out of the holiday season to a pile of debt, so do what you can now to avoid that.
Great deals:
Yes, it’s true, stores are already offering holiday deals and lower prices. Target and Walmart kicked off sales earlier this week, and Amazon’s Black Friday Early Countdown is already here. Amazon Prime members have early access to lightning deals that quickly run out due to low prices and high demand. Monitor the items that you have your eye on to help ensure you get the lowest price available.
Lower shipping costs:
Shopping earlier also means you don’t have to pay for rush shipping. You might even be able to ship for free; check your favorite coupon website for coupon codes or run a general search on the retailer name and the words “free shipping.” Shop in bulk at fewer retailers in order to meet their minimum requirement for free shipping or get it shipped to the store and pick it up for free.
Spending more time with loved ones at the holidays:
Many stores now open on Thanksgiving with competitive deals hours ahead of Black Friday. If you’d prefer to spend the holiday at home with your family, then getting your shopping done early can help. The same reasoning applies if you have a busy season planned with holiday entertaining, travel or family events. The more shopping you get done now, the more freed up your schedule will be when December arrives.
If you’re worried about missing out on those “doorbuster” prices, don’t worry. Log online during “Deals Week” or steal away a few minutes on your mobile phone on Thanksgiving, and you can still find great sales. This year, experts predict more holiday shopping will take place online than it does in stores.
A few tips to keep in mind if you decide to shop early: Check the return policy of the items you buy to make sure there’s enough time for returns or exchanges if needed. Also, make sure you have ideas and suggestions in advance from those loved ones that are hard to buy for. Otherwise, you risk having to shop again when they share their wish list on December 23.
Best of luck and many wishes for a frugal and stress-free holiday season!
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6 Reasons to Start Your Holiday Shopping Early originally appeared on usnews.com
