5 Surprising Benefits to Getting a Head Start on Holiday Shopping

Even though fall has just begun, now is the time when I begin to get excited about and prep for the holidays.

Why?  Because smart planning not only helps my bottom budget line but also offers me plenty of wonderful residual benefits. It’s well worth the little bit of extra effort to start early! Getting a head start on holiday shopping will help you to have the best holiday season!  

Spend Less

The first step I always begin with is to make a commitment to spend less and to budget for holiday gifts. Spending less during the holidays is obviously beneficial to your financial well-being. 

Making the commitment to spend less this Christmas is easy. Sticking to that commitment is the hard part. In fact, everyone has probably considered the idea on more than one occasion but fallen short of the goal. 

No matter how good your intentions, once the season gets in full swing a frenzied momentum can take over. Before you know it, you have spent well over your planned Spartan budget, are nowhere near finished and are forced to postpone your frugal goals for another year. 

There are some really simple tricks to help keep your holiday spending on track including: 

• Ask for wishlists – While I can already guess that toys by Hasbro, Fisher Price Little People and Vtech will be on children’s wishlists everywhere, I’m not always certain which ones will be on the top my children’s wishlist. I don’t always ask for a written list, but often have a casual conversation to gauge their current interests and to find out what toys they think are going to be big during the holiday season  This works equally well with everyone on your list – just open a dialogue and see what gift ideas the conversation leads you to!  

• Set a budget – use a piece of paper or an electronic spreadsheet and record how much you may comfortably spend on holiday gifts.  Then write a list of the people you will be purchasing gifts for.  Decide how much of your allotted amount you will spend on each person.  You can take this a step further by labeling envelopes with each person’s name and placing the exact amount of cash you want to spend on each in the envelope.  Use these envelopes during your shopping trips to ensure you stay on track.

• Layaway items – take advantage of sales and be sure to snag the wish list items you want to purchase before inventory gets low and items like popular toys are hard to find!  No-fee layaway programs like the Walmart Free Layaway program give you the flexibility you may need to pay for items a little at a time, rather than having to come up with a lump sum at once.  

• Utilize gift cards –  if you don’t think you’ll be able to stick to your budget while shopping, opt for gifting a gift card instead.  Some people have the notion that gift cards are impersonal, but if you ask most recipients, particularly teens and young adults, they love receiving them and having the flexibility of selecting their own gift based on personal preferences. 

• Take advantage of deals – Coupons, codes, free shipping offers, sales. store loyalty cards and special programs like the Walmart Savings Catcher are all your holiday budget’s best friend!  If you’ve allotted $25 for a gift and can purchase it for less, that’s money back in your pocket, money you can donate to your favorite charity, money for a little extra gift, or money you can allot for other holiday needs like food and decor.

Reap The Benefits

When you have your budget firmed up and your commitment to spending less on track, you’ll find that many other benefits of getting a head start on your holiday shopping kick in naturally like: 

• Reduced Stress:  Braving crowds at the mall, driving on icy, snow-covered roads and worrying about finding the perfect gift and finishing your shopping list on time is stressful!  When you intentionally plan out your holiday shopping ahead of time, you’ll easily reduce your stress inducers!

• A Great Financial Start to the New Year:  When you don’t have a plan in place, it’s easy to fall into a holiday trap of excessive charging.  When January rolls around, the sticker shock from your monthly credit card bills can send you into a tizzy and totally ruin the start to your budget for the new year.

If you need an ounce of motivation to push you towards getting a head start on your holiday shopping, just think of how it will feel to open that dreaded credit card statement or see the low bank balance statement at the beginning of the new year.  Not to miss mentioning having to deal with rapidly compounding interest, large monthly payments, bank fees and potential over-limit fees.

• Comfort and Joy!: Planning for the holidays and spending less allows you to focus on what is really important. Namely, spending time with family and friends, enjoying the simple pleasure of home-cooked meals, participating in candlelight services and volunteering to make the holiday enjoyable for those less fortunate. 

It’s a lot easier to celebrate when you are not stressed out and not strapped for cash during the holiday season.  This will allow you more time and the ability to allot your energy towards being present in the moment and fully enjoying all the holiday season has to offer! 

• A Chance to Relax: Many people take time off from their jobs over the Christmas holiday only to run around like crazy, trying to get everything done. They spend every weekend and off hour running from mall to mall, shopping with abandon. Some even pull all-nighters just to wrap the multitude of presents. 

This routine can be downright exhausting. Remember that this is your weekend, your vacation time. Sit back and enjoy it. If you only purchase a small, token gift for everyone on your list, you will be able to spend more time with your family and friends and less time with the clerk at your teen’s favorite store. You work hard all year. Why not make taking time to relax a personal gift to yourself.

Don’t overlook the simplicity and idealism of these surprising benefits.  All it takes is a little commitment and planning to have your best holiday season yet!