Holiday shopping always seems to fray your nerves. One minute, you’re ringing in the new year, and then all of a sudden, it’s November again. This year has been one wild ride, so holiday shopping in 2022 has caught us all unprepared.
Ready or not, the holidays are coming, so it’s time to start holiday shopping. Some people love shopping in person. They make a list, map out a route, and check all the boxes, sipping a peppermint mocha and blasting their favorite tunes as they go store by store. Others would rather stay cozy on the couch, watching movies and seeing snow fall while they shop online.
No matter what your preference, you can still get great deals while holiday shopping. With the right prep, you can get the perfect gifts for all the people you love without breaking the bank.
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Holiday Shopping With a Budget of $0 – $15
First, let’s start with the lowest budget. The holidays have come around, and you forgot to budget anything at all. Now, you have to shop for your loved ones, but you’ve got little to no money to do it with!
Don’t panic; you have options. First, you could apply for a gift loan. Our partners at MyGiftMoney have a flexible range of options and can deposit the money in your account as soon as the next day! You can apply with any credit history and for any amount required for the perfect holiday shopping experience.
If that’s not your style, you’re not out of luck yet. You can still do your holiday shopping on a small budget. Want to know how? Think of the greatest gift you ever got. What made it so great? Was it the price tag or the care behind it?
Gifts that show thoughtfulness and effort will beat a gift with a high price tag every time. Think small but needed, or handmade but heartfelt. Even a cheesy homemade “coupon” book can be a great gift when you put in the effort! Dollar stores will be your BFF when holiday shopping on a budget, but don’t forget to check Amazon, too. Just use the “price: low to high” filter to save yourself the sorting.
Holiday Shopping with a Budget of $15 – $30
Look at you go! You’ve budgeted some money for holiday shopping. Maybe you got a late start, or maybe it was just a lean year, so you’re working on a strict budget. Here’s a pro-tip to keep up your momentum: check out our partners at YNAB.
YNAB is a budgeting app that gives you ongoing help with meeting your budgeting goals. They even have a “Gifts” category so you can save a little money for your holiday shopping throughout the year.
Anyways, you’re bringing some cash to your 2022 holiday shopping spree. How can you get the best holiday shopping experience while sticking to your budget?
First off, you can use the same tips as the $0-$15 category. Keep it meaningful, and check out those dollar stores! The good news is the larger your budget, the more flexible you can be. While holiday shopping with this budget, think about something the person you’re shopping for could use in their everyday life.
Do you have a friend that’s always cold? A warm blanket, cozy socks, or a comfy sweater would be the perfect gift. Is your auntie always in the kitchen, whipping up something delicious? Find a fun kitchen gadget she can use day after day.
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Holiday Shopping With a Budget of More Than $30
Way to go! You’ve budgeted to have more than $30 for every person on your list. Holiday shopping is easier the larger your budget is, but you can still be on the lookout for bargains. After all, there’s always one person on your list you forgot to budget for, even if that person is you.
When you have a more flexible budget, it’s easy to overspend. A great way to offset this is to put your holiday shopping on a credit card (check out our partners at AmOne to find a good fit). This way, overspending doesn’t immediately cut into your bank account. You can use those awesome budgeting skills to pay off what you didn’t budget for. If you pick a credit card with points, you can even put your holiday shopping to work. Score!
Since your budget is the most flexible on this list, it’s time to shop for those holiday sales. More expensive items are more likely to go on great sales for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some companies are even doing pre-sales to prepare for the 2022 holiday shopping crowds, so keep your eyes peeled all November and December.
Present Your Presents With Pride
Holiday shopping is exhausting and overwhelming, especially when there are so many options and so much going on in your life. You might feel beat if you’re coming into the holidays with a small budget, but hopefully, we’ve shared a little holiday cheer. You can give meaningful gifts no matter what your budget is.
A meaningful gift is the kind of gift we’d all like to receive. It’s a gift that shows how special or what that person means to you, or how much you love them.
These gifts can be handmade crafts, an inside joke, something they use every day, or something they’ve been wanting for a long time. No matter what, your gift shows that you were thinking of them, and it doesn’t have to be a diamond bracelet to do that.
In the end, holidays are for spending time with the ones you love. Your holiday shopping is part of the season, but not the most important part. The most important part of the holidays is you.
Budget, borrow and shop your heart out now, but on the day you celebrate, just be there. You want your family and friends to be with you for the holidays, and they want to be with you, too.
Happy holidays from Penny Calling Penny! Oh, and the best gift you could give us? Subscribing to our newsletter and letting us help you on your journey to financial security!
