Since we are well into the holiday season, I thought presents would be an appropriate topic. Here’s a tip I have for purchasing presents without breaking the bank.
Both my husband and I come from big families and close extended families on at least one side, plus I am very close to my best friends family. I bought all our holiday, birthday, wedding, and new baby gifts in the week after Christmas last year and save major money.
The later in the week you shop the higher the discount, so get specific items for people early on at 25-50% off, and get generic gifts, like gift sets that don’t matter if you get an exact kind, later at 50-75% off and up. Last year we spent about 1/4th the normal cost per item and got stuff people wanted. All together we ended up spending about $5 a gift on average, less some, more others.
I just made a list of who all we needed gifts for and what occasion and then crossed them off as I found them, then grabbed a few generic wedding and baby gifts for the things that come up we can't know about ahead of time. Saved us so much money (and holiday stress) it's not even funny. We spent around$300 in all last year in after holiday sales for what normally cost us more then $1000.
It also meant that if we found something we really liked for Tristian or ourselves for Christmas, anniversary or birthdays throughout the year, within reason it was much more workable to get because we didn't have to worry as much about gift buying, just saving a few hundred for after holiday sales again. $300 over 12 months is pretty easy to save ($25 every other paycheck). I'm doing the same this year.
Even if you can't save that in the next month and won't have that much to spend, try doing what you can in after Holiday sales, you will be surprised what you can get really cheap. Look for coupons too. For example: sometimes you can find coupons for axe or old spice and the guys in my family love getting those gift sets for Christmas. You can usually find them for a few dollars and with the coupons they're even cheaper.
