Early Christmas Shopping To Save On Gifts And Leave Time For Gloating

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Holiday shopping is inevitable.  Get used to it.  Accept it.  Get on it.

Every winter and summer I pick up a couple end-of-season bargains.  In March I might find some exceptional velvet pants or an extravagant cashmere sweater.  In September I might score a linen jacket or a flowy skirt.  There's nothing like picking up an obscenely expensive Ralph Lauren blazer at 85% off; for that kind of savings, I'm even willing to spring for alterations.  Who cares if it's a pair of size 14 pants?  I can use the extra fabric to make headbands.  I'll just grow my hair longer so I have something to wear the headbands in.

Of course, I'm not the kind of person who can wear something divinely luxurious and not tell anyone who admires it how much I saved by buying it at an outlet store using a coupon and a cashback credit card.  I've even been known to grab strangers by the lapels at a bus stop and challenge: "Guess how much I saved on this?!" 

And I don't even ride the bus.

I have a pair of $900 Tod's boots that I bought for $100 at an outlet store using a generous discount coupon; I'll tell anyone in an instant how much they cost retail and how much discount I got on them.  If they've never heard of Tod's, I'll launch into a detailed explanation of how unattainable anything from Tod's is, and then return to my story of how cheaply I got the only thing made by Tod's that I will ever have any hope of owning.

I bought a marked-down comforter online.  I entered the retail site through Upromise, which you should check out if you don't already know about it -- they provide tax-free loyalty kickbacks that can be applied to college tuition when you need it; via Upromise I got a rebate of somewhere around 5%. I used my Discover card to get cash back, and the store was offering free shipping.  I figure I acquired the comforter at approximately an 18,504% discount.

What's the point? 

• When the appropriate season rolls around I'm always pleasantly surprised to find treats in my closet, since I usually don't remember what I had for breakfast, much less what I bought six months ago. 
• I need to save money wherever I can; who doesn't? 
• And, since I'm incapable of wearing $900 boots and not letting admirers know how cheaply I bought them, I get the extra rush of gloatitude.

I bet you can see what's coming.  Well, you're right: Christmas is coming, and it's my duty pleasure to nag gently remind you to take care of as much holiday shopping as you can before everyone else thinks of it and gets a jump on you.  Almost anything you might give as a holiday gift will be on sale at some point during the year, even if it's the middle of summer (or the 26th of August, for that matter).  Ehow provides some sensible advice:

"Make a budget early in the year for what you plan to spend on Christmas. Spread that out over the entire year instead of doing what some do, which is to spend like crazy in November and December...

Hit the sales! Start your shopping as soon as January if you can. With your monthly allotted budget for Christmas, buy gifts throughout the year. You can save significantly and find some great deals and unique gifts. Taking the time to find thoughtful presents can result in a less rushed experience and a happier gift recipient."

Jenny How, writing for Buzzle.com, suggests you "think of Christmas shopping as a year long event."

Yes, you're burned out by the end of the holiday shopping season, and gift shopping is on the list of the top five things you don't want to think about the other ten months of the year, but imagine how triumphant and surprised you'll feel in the heat of the holiday season when you discover that your shopping is nearly finished. 

While you're at it, imagine how much you'll save by buying things on sale when you see them rather than desperately paying the going price in the turmoil of the Christmas season. If you can keep the holiday season somewhere other than the darkest caves of memory where you store algebra and that time you slipped on the ice in front of your 7th grade crush, then when you see something that might shorten your gift list, you'll have the presence of mind pick it up.

Besides, in addition to the satisfaction of saving a ton of money by shopping during the off season, you get to make your friends and relatives jealous that you got it started, and maybe even finished, months in advance.

Need more encouragement to get started on holiday shopping?  Click here and here.

Comments

[Captain Steve]

You completely read my mind. I've already started Christmas shopping and we're budgetizing this year, which is good, because I'm still paying on my credit card from last year when I waited til the last minute. Oh, Christmas buying suckage.

[Rita]

fee,

I am having my first "holiday sale" the Wednesday after Memorial Day! It gets earlier and earlier each year, and though I love my customers AND my side business,I have to tell you - my summer clearance sale and my pre-Christmas Sale are occuring TWO WEEKS apart this year. And it's the SAME merchandise, with the SAME 20% off!

Rita

BTW: Please tell Miss Hannah Fanna that I will be over for a visit a bit later today, if that's OK with mom!

[feefifoto]

Captain: but won't it feel good getting some of it done early? I'm researching something both my kids want and hoping to get it out of the way by next week.

Rita: Come by any time. We'll have milk and cookies.