10 smart tips for holiday spending
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/07/2009 1:05 AM
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MANILA - The 'ber months have arrived, ushering in the season for giving. A majority of people are thinking about gifts, food or parties for the holiday season while entrepreneurs will be busy making money selling Christmas wares.
In short this is spending season for people from all walks of life.
However, not everyone is able to save their bonuses or benefits and not everyone is willing to spend a lot for Christmas expenses.
If there is forward planning, people can celebrate Christmas without having to splurge. Here are some recommendations:
1. Plan ahead. As early as March, list down people you want to give gifts to. Wait for mall-wide sales, inventory sales, closing-out sales, or even calamity sales throughout the year. Definitely, prices will be lower and you can start buying gifts in increments - without having to spend large amounts in one go.
2. Shop early. If you have a shopping list ready, try going at early hours in the day when malls or stores open. This way, you won't feel harrassed when looking for gifts and if you shop early enough in the season, you won't have to compete with other buyers for limited items or stocks.
3. Go bargain hunting. It is fun to shop in bargain hotspots like Divisoria in Manila, the Dapitan Arcade in Quezon City, or the Green Hills "tiangge" in San Juan. You can find a lot of gift items or decorations - and haggle with the stall keepers when you buy. This means you can stick to your budget.
4. Look for "UK" goods. These are not imports from London, but "ukay-ukay" finds. Some of them, like vintage bags or clothes, can be jazzed up with newer items to give gifts that homemade touch. Never underestimate the value of making homemade gifts when your budget gets tight.
5. Recycle gifts. Don't know what to do with items you got in previous Christmases but have never used? Try re-wrapping them and giving them as gifts to people whom you think would make good use of them. Make sure you don't give it back to the source!
6. Want to give food as gifts? Try homemade rather than store-bought. Homemade delicacies will be appreciated more than store-bought food and will cost you much less.
7. Buy in bulk. If you have a lot of people on your Christmas shopping list, and you aren't certain about what they like, consider buying items in bulk. You can purchase multiple sets of gifts like t-shirts, candles, or foodstuffs. These types of gifts are ideal if you have co-workers, employees, or sets of acquaintances. Sometimes, stores also offer discounts for buyers who buy wholesale or many items at once.
8. Be pragmatic and strike out names. It may sound mean-spirited but you don't really have to buy for every person around you. Sometimes you really need to shorten your Christmas shopping list to make it more manageable especially when you have a limited budget.
9. Clustering. Also, try to cluster the people on your Christmas list. Instead of buying for every co-worker, why not give them just one large gift - like a cake? Or instead of buying for every aunt or uncle, why not give them gifts as a couple?
10. No-gift season? Make an agreement with your family members that no one should spend more than a certain amount for gifts (setting a price cap for gifts).
You can even go the charitable route: instead of giving each other gifts, why not send much-needed "presents" (food, clothing, toys) to charitable organizations?
In these tough times, people will understand, and everyone may feel better for having helped others. Report by Susan Ariola, LopezLink. With reports from Christmastipslibrary.com and Blisstree.com.
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