Tip Of The Day: Wednesday is Hump Day Opinion Poll time around these parts (‘these parts’ being the entirely fictional/virtual empire of The Cheap Chick). It’s a time where your opinions matter the most, and you have the opportunity to share them with our community. Read on for today’s Really, Totally Relevant Topic.
Tip For Tomorrow: Thursday morning, at 9:45 AM, I’ll be on Fox 9’s Morning Buzz, talking all things frugal and fabulous with Jason and Alix. We’ll be looking at the best websites for deals, discounts and coupons, both locally and further afield. Please watch, and help increase my ratings. Thanks!
Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: As the holiday bear down on us, like a runaway car bears down on two dudes carrying a sheet of pane glass across a street, our thoughts here at the Empire turn toward holiday shopping. Ergo, therefore (and forsooth! Which I never get to say enough) today’s Opinion Poll addresses holiday shopping. In particular, when, where, and how you do it.
The Hump Day “There’s Only 50 Shopping Days Left!” Opinion Poll:
1. When do you start shopping for the holidays? The day after Christmas? Or the day before? In my family, we generally don’t exchange our wish lists until mid-November. Which means I’m often shopping right up until the Eve. Every year, my SIL and I try to change this (heck, we brought up gifts this year in AUGUST), but the rest of the fam brutally rebuffs our advances. One of these years, I’m just going to give them all those obnoxious embroidered holiday sweaters…
2. Where do you shop (primarily)? The malls? Target? Online? Thrift stores? Honestly, year after year, 2/3rds of my gifts seem to come from Target and Half Price Books. Because cheap books rule, and if you can’t find it at Target, you probably don’t need it.
3. Do you set a budget in advance? Per person, or one overall total? I usually have a per gift maximum I set, depending on the state of my finances. As I said last week, this year we’ve set, as a family, a $25 gift maximum per person.
4. Do you find yourself buying many last minute gifts? Or are you done by the time December 1st (or earlier!) rolls around? Thanks to my beloved family whom I love, and who won’t tell me what they want until Thanksgiving, most of my shopping is last minute. People, tell me what you want NOW. Please? Pretty please? I love you best, honest…
5. Have you ever shopped the after Christmas sales to buy Christmas gifts for next year? Or even better, gifts for THIS year? If I’m not seeing my family until after the 25th, you bet your bottom dollar I’m buying everything at the post-holiday sales. Hello, 50% off, where have you been all my life?
Now it’s your turn (sing it with me now, “It’s my tuuuurrrrrrnnnn, to be what I can be, and suddenly I see…” Or not.). Share in the Comments below how you handle shopping for the holidays. And as always, thank you for your participation.
6 Comments
I make a lot of my presents. Unless I see/think of something that sparks my interest, I usually start around Nov 1. What I don’t make, I often buy online, mostly because I’m lazy. I’ve got three of my presents ordered, and most of the rest planned. Now I just have to start sewing…
As for my price limit: cheap. I’m not ashamed of buying a present on clearance or with coupons. Or even from a thrift store, if it’s in good condition. The point of a gift is not what you spend on it, it’s that the person will like it. I’m po’. My family isn’t rich either. I don’t want them spending tons of money on me–I often REQUEST used items whenever possible–and I’m not going to go broke trying to please them.
My gifts will come from a combo of stores – Target, thrift.Half priced Books etc. Luckily, my sis and I agreed that our children will all get a book. 1 each, that’s all. Mostly handmade stuff (my banana bread & spritz cookies are popular) for the grown-ups. We don’t do any gifts for out of towners … ‘cuz, really, why send something when it’s better to save pennies and then GO see them??
I generally shop after Thanksgiving and then have a big ‘ol freakout “that I don’t have enough for my kids & hubby so they will think I don’t love them” and go crazy with last minute shopping.
That’s my plan, and I’m sticking to it!
My holiday shopping habits vary. My brother and I use Amazon.com wish lists. His wife and kids also each have one. I don’t have to ask what they want, I can just buy it. And then I can get their gifts anytime I want, but I usually get them way before Christmas. A wish list might solve your dilemma and it can be used for birthdays, anniversaries – need I say more?
My dad usually likes cash and my mom doesn’t really want very much, so she’s pretty easy to shop for. I only get gifts for my immediate family ($25 max) and everyone else gets stackable tins of baked goods. I usually start prepping for that around Thanksgiving.
I do a little shopping after Christmas, especially for my niece and nephew. Since I get them holiday ornaments every year along with a small gift, so I buy the ornaments after Christmas and save them until the next year.
I can’t buy for many people. But I am thrifty, and use a discerning eye. I don’t have a set budget — just the goal of cheap and ideal present for whomever, without going bankrupt. I’ve often bought gifts from thrift stores, and they’ve been very well-loved by the recipients. I also use Amazon and Barnes & Noble.com for used books (cheapest books I’ve found so far, and the least cost has been 1 cent — shipping is usually $3.99, but it’s still a great deal). The sale shelves at the libraries are super spots for used books too (25-50 cents and a dollar for books). Sometimes, all they need is a wee bit of tlc, and they’re still fab gifts. Half Price Books SO rocks, as always. If I can find neat stuff at Target or another reasonably-priced store, great. This year, I want to expand my horizons and make more gifts too, as others above have said they’re doing.
check out half.com for books and music. You usually can find what you are looking for in new or like new condition for cheap, cheap, cheap! They are an affiliate of ebay, but no auction involved just pay for what you see. Shipping is usually media rate so that’s cheap too!
I shop year round and try to finish the Christmas gifts long before Thanksgiving. That way I can actually enjoy the holiday season instead of having to get out among the throngs of angry shoppers! I have a small family so I usually try to get them one nicer gift and then some smaller inexpensive ones as well. For example, I may get my mom a nice sweater from Chico’s but the rest will be inexpensive items. No limit on where I buy them but I do shop sales. I do budget but since it is only my mom and husband that I buy for, I can afford to spend a little more. Although the most fun things are when we plan on doing something together instead of a gift. We tend to go to a movie, have game nights and plan short trips instead of gifts.