Christmas Shopping Tips

General Shopping Tips

• Create a Christmas gift list with names of recipients and gift ideas. Take it with you when shopping to avoid impulse purchases and overspending. Check off completed gifts to avoid duplicate purchases later.
• Don't be an easy target for shoplifters or pickpockets. Wear your purse in front and keep it securely fastened.
• Use a spare wallet while shopping with necessary items only: your ID, the credit cards you'll be using, your checkbook, etc. If your wallet is lost or stolen, you'll be spared losing photos and having to reward cards, gym cards, etc.
• Use debit or credit cards for purchases. They're safer than carrying cash and offer consumer protections not available with cash or checks.
• Save receipts for returns and exchanges and to compare with your debit/credit card statements to verfiy purchases or dispute charges. File in a wallet-sized plastic folder or sturdy envelope.
• Ask for gift receipts if available and include them with gifts for easy exchanges.
• Be aware of store refund and exchange policies before making purchases.
• Store packages in your trunk or out of view and keep your vehicle locked so as to not tempt thieves.
• Shop in the off season for great savings. Christmas decorations, cards and gift wrap will be a fraction of their normal price in January, as will toys, gift sets, blankets and winter wear. Check gifts off your list so you don't make duplicate purchases later in the year.
• Shop early to avoid long lines and to ensure must-have gifts will not be sold out. Buying gifts throughout the year will reduce stress and allow more time to enjoy the holiday season. Remember some items may not be returned after a certain time, even with receipts, so avoid purchasing gifts too early in the year which may be obsolete by Christmas (books, CD, movies, etc.) Store gifts in a plastic storage box and check them off your Christmas list.

Online Shopping vs. Brick & Mortar Shopping

• Shop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — even in your PJs.
• Avoid holiday traffic, winter weather and the search for parking spaces.
• Skip the stress of crowded malls and stores, surly clerks and long checkout lines.
• Enjoy the variety of shopping and comparing hundreds of thousands of products with the click of the mouse.
• Save time by skipping driving, standing in line for purchases, wrapping and mailing gifts. Have your gifts shipped directly to the recipients. Many online stores offer gift wrapping.

• Inability to physically assess products.
• Ordered items being placed on backorder.
• Shipping and handling costs can add up, but may be offset by the money saved on gas and postage if you have your gifts shipped directly to the recipient.
• Returning and exchanging items can be inconvenient.
• Missing the beautiful decorations, twinkling lights, Christmas music and holiday scents found when shopping brick and mortar stores.

Online Shopping Tips

• Use online coupon codes for savings. Coupon codes can be found online, in merchant catalogues and by joining mailing lists at your favorite online retailers.
• Free Shipping with a mininum purchase is available at many online stores. If your total doesn't quite meet the minimum, add an extra item — as a treat for yourself, another gift or stocking stuffer — to take advantage of Free Shipping.
• Keep your gift list near and refer to it while shopping to avoid wasting money on impulse purchases. Staying focused on exactly who you need gifts for will save browsing and shopping time.
• If you see a great deal for a gift you're seeking, act fast. Deeply discounted items usually don't last long. If it's an item that will make a good gift for multiple recipients, purchase more than one.
• Print online receipts and save them for returning items if necessary and to verify your credit card statements. Use a sturdy envelope or wallet-sized plastic file to store them in.

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