Cocogen's Top 5 Holiday Shopping Tips

June 28, 2022

The holidays were never meant to be marked by stress and anxiety. But all too often, the most wonderful time of the year becomes less about spending time with our loved ones and more about overspending. Help keep your holidays merry and your finances manageable. Follow these five smart holiday shopping and spending tips to save time and money. 1. Set a realistic budget In a perfect world, we’d be showering our friends and family with expensive Christmas gifts every year. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have that much to spend in the first place. So before you even think about getting the keys to drive to that mall, make a gift list and set a respectable budget for each person you’re going to buy a gift for. If you’re unable to set realistic limits on your holiday spending, you’ll be kissing goodbye to your 13th-month pay sooner than you think. 2. Research prices and reviews If a deal catches your eye at the mall, look first before you pounce. Use your phone to see if you can get the same item at a cheaper price either in a different store or online. If you’re just browsing for gifts today and are unsure of which specific item/brand/model to buy, search for credible online reviews. You can check review sites with user reviews and ratings like Amazon to find out which brands/models generally have the most positive reviews. You can also compare prices at online comparison sites such as priceme.com.ph, pricepanda.com.ph, ph.priceprice.com. 3. Shop online Avoid the stressful traffic jam and crowded shopping centers altogether by shopping online. You also get the added benefit of sparing yourself from hands-on temptations. Just be mindful when it comes to shipping fees. Order your gifts in advance so that you don’t have to shell out for expensive overnight shipping fees or worse, that the item you’re looking to buy runs out of stock. Check for promo codes often in the weeks leading up to the holidays. More often than not, retailers will be offering discounts on shipping fees or waive them altogether. Subscribing to the store’s monthly newsletters are the best way to guarantee that you are notified year-long of any promo codes or gift certificates they’ll be offering. Many stores also give you the option of making the purchase online with a later pick-up at the store for no charge. Parking and traffic may be a challenge but at least you get to skip the long checkout lines and crowded shopping aisles. 4. Never shop on weekends Weekends are the busiest shopping days of the holiday season. If you want to avoid the crowd and the traffic, do your Christmas shopping on weeknights. Most malls offer extended hours during the holidays and usually close up until 10PM so be prepared to night shop. Bonus: at least when you leave the mall there won’t be too much traffic (hopefully!). 5. Start today! Don’t wait until the last minute to start your holiday shopping. Give yourself time to look at different stores, compare prices, or even have something custom-made or shipped from abroad. Store inventories are limited and take time to restock, especially for items that are in high-demand. Trust us, you wouldn’t want to get stuck having to buy a so-so gift for a special someone just because what you wanted was already out of stock. Shop smart this holiday season and save yourself from the potential headache and stress. Christmas is, and should be, all about spending time with your family and friends. Stay ahead of the crowd and start your holiday shopping today! *** The author of this article contributed in their own personal capacity. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of COCOGEN Insurance.

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