Plan your purchases
Plan your purchases
According to the OCU, gifts are those that take half the family budget for the Christmas holidays. So that the expense is not so great and you do not end up drowning in the January cost –or you spend the extra pay before receiving it–, we suggest you make a planned purchase, taking into account when are the days when there are better discounts.
Choose the right moment
Choose the right moment
It is best to stagger purchases. with a lot of time what you are sure of or it may run out. Leave for a little before those that may require changes. And for the last minute only those that are food or other perishable products, such as flowers.
Mark special days on the calendar
Mark special days on the calendar
Black Friday is November 23 and just the following Monday, November 26, is Cyber Monday. During these days you can get unrepeatable offers and discounts both in stores and online. T not during days 22, 23 and 24, which is when prices rise the most.
Get organized well
Get organized well
Nothing to improvise on the go. Look for ideas in magazines, the internet, etc. And, before leaving home, take the list prepared with what you want to give each person.
Research before
Research before
As soon as you have your gift list, start looking at prices at various establishments. According to the OCU, you can find differences of 20%.
Bet on online
Bet on online
Before going to a physical store, spend some time in front of the computer and write down prices to be able to compare later. Buying online you can get discounts of up to 50%.
Search at fairs and markets
Search at fairs and markets
Do like Angelina Jolie and her children. You can find real bargains at fairs and markets.
Attention to offers
Attention to offers
Like Kendall Jenner, you too can check out the deals. Remember that many stores make special discounts before or advance them.
Sign up for the newsletters
Sign up for the newsletters
If you are subscribed to the newsletter of the stores that you like the most, you will find out beforehand about their special offers and discounts.
Join the invisible friend tradition
Join the invisible friend tradition
It is estimated that each person gives an average of 10 gifts for Christmas, reason enough to choose to make the invisible friend, with which you only make a gift to one of the group instead of all.
Avoid compulsive shopping
Avoid compulsive shopping
When you have already bought everything you had planned, do not continue window shopping if you do not want to fall into the temptation of compulsive purchases that can increase your spending to nothing more and nothing less than € 180
And more ideas to control your expenses
And more ideas to control your expenses
If you need ideas to stretch your budget this Christmas, discover them here.
Are you aiming to reach January with a positive balance? Well, it will not be so difficult if you manage to contain spending on gifts that, according to the OCU, are the ones that take half the family budget for the Christmas holidays. If it is calculated that on average we spend about € 750 on these dates , the gifts become a real blow to our savings.
So that the expense is not so great and we do not get drowned at the January cost –or you spend the extra pay before receiving it–, we suggest you make a planned purchase, taking into account when are the days in which there are better discounts.
The best time to
According to the OCU, to avoid damaging your economy excessively, it is best to stagger purchases.
- With a lot of time. Acquire in advance gifts that you are sure of or that you think will run out. Some stores offer discounts to encourage advance purchases.
- Shortly before. Gifts that may require changes (and make sure they are the least, because just the days before Christmas Eve or Kings the prices are higher).
- In the last moment. Only food gifts that are perishable.
- Strategies for not too much. Avoid rush hours because they encourage messy shopping. Going easy gives you more chances to compare and get it right. And make time for each gift. You will go directly to what you are looking for and you will not fall into the "traps".
Days to mark in red on the savings calendar
The Black Friday, which this year falls on November 23, gives the go -to holiday shopping. It is a day in which many internet portals and some establishments make great discounts that can reach up to 40% in some cases. It is a good time to make "thoughtful" purchases in home technology, computers, mobile phones …
And just the following Monday, in this case November 26, is Cyber Monday, which was once created to encourage purchases through the Internet and makes it much cheaper online around these days.
The next key moment is December 15, which is when most citizens collect the extra pay, which causes merchants to start placing offers because there is fresh money in their pockets.
Other times to keep in mind are the 22nd, 23rd and 24th, which is when you should NOT spend on gifts, because as Christmas Eve approaches, prices go up. And from the 25th, it goes back to looking for good prices, because merchants want to attract those who instead of giving gifts for Christmas maintain the tradition of Three Kings Day.
Get gifts at the best price
It is not only about going out of stores on the days indicated as the best to find deals, you also have to take other things into account:
- Clear ideas. Do not be inspired with the card in hand, because you will spend more. Look for ideas in magazines, the internet, etc. And, before leaving home, take the list prepared with what you want to give each person.
- Search and compare. Comparing is always essential. As soon as you have your list, start looking at prices in various establishments, physical and online. For example, if you don't want to pay more than the bill for toys, especially the most sought after, visit various establishments. According to the OCU, you can find differences of 20%.
- on-line. At Christmas, online purchases increase more than 60%. And you can get discounts of up to 50%. Before going to a physical store, spend some time in front of the computer and write down prices to be able to compare later.
- Go to flea markets. You can compare prices for details such as fir, for example. The best: Barcelona (Fira de Santa Llúcia), Bilbao (C / Bailén), Madrid (Plaza Mayor), Seville (C / Fray Ceferino González) and Valencia (Pl. De la Reina).
- Pre. Many establishments advance the. Another possibility is that you give away vouchers to use from January 7: a gift that grows, because the same money allows you more.
- Newsletters. Sign up for the newsletters of the stores you like the most to find out about their offers beforehand. You can also follow the best proposals from providers such as Groupalia, Groupon, LetsBonus and Offerum. You can receive them grouped in a single email. You just have to sign up for free to the "Deals of the day" on the eBay portal, indicating what interests you. You will get discounts of up to 90%.
- The invisible friend. It is estimated that each person gives an average of 10 gifts for Christmas. A compelling reason to make an invisible friend, especially if you are a lot of family or friends.
Avoid "broom shopping"
When you already have the gifts on your list, stop going out window shopping. You can fall into the field of "broom purchases", that is, extra purchases or self-gifts that are calculated to increase your spending up to € 180! If you see something you like, write down ideas for birthdays or other special occasions.
If you want to know more tricks so you don't lose a euro, don't miss our savings articles.
