519-646-2222Christmas shopping tips
Christmas is a time of the year when most people start to really focus in on giving, mostly to other family members. For some, the act of giving is a “make-up” whether that be in the sense of making amends to a spouse, kind of like buying flowers after a fight, or a time to make up for other shortfalls – many parents use it as a time to make up their children’s wardrobe, disguising clothing as gifts.
Some people see Christmas as a time of social awareness, they give to needy families or charities. For an increasing number of Canadians, Christmas is a time of overspending and overextension on credit cards. Consumers are driven to spend money, mostly impulsively on things that they, or the gift recipients, really don’t need.
Can you remember everything that you received last Christmas? If you’re like me you probably forgot most items before the end of January. Kids also forget very quickly – the old adage “they got more fun out of the cardboard box” is one well worth remembering.
Try eating and drinking less, you can save money, and help your health, immediately by reducing overindulgence. Buy one special gift that may be remembered rather than a whole bunch of “stuff”. I remember my parents bought me a fort made of cardboard when I was about six years old – that’s a long time to remember that one gift. Everything else faded to black a long time ago.
Shop after Christmas, many retailers struggle at Christmas and this year many will likely go out of business as online retail surges. That creates opportunity for you for post-Christmas sales. Instead of buying your kids clothing for Christmas wait for the sales and give them that one thoughtful thing to open on the big day.
Just think about last Christmas, that huge turkey dinner that took hours to prepare, minutes to devour and the awful feeling of having eaten far too much! Just take it easy, relax, enjoy your friends and family and keep your wallet closed.