Shopping during the Christmas period can be stressful, and since everything and everyone seems to be moving at twice the normal speed, it’s easy to slip up and make the same mistakes year after year. For example, leaving everything until the last minute, spending way more money than you intended because you didn’t have time to properly research gifts or set a budget, or sometimes even forgetting to buy one friend or family member a gift entirely because you didn’t have time to put together a list.
These are all very easy slip-ups to make during the madness of the festive period, but bearing the following in mind now should (in theory) help you avoid them this year!
Waiting until the last minute to do all your shopping
Every year you have the best intentions to begin weeks in advance, and every year you find yourself manically running around Orchard Road looking for gifts on Christmas Eve because you left it too late for anything ordered online to arrive in time! We know the situation all too well. However, with huge online sales happening prior to Christmas such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and 12/12, shoppers have the opportunity of being rewarded with discounts for being well prepared with their Christmas shopping – so no excuses this year!
Straying away from your Christmas shopping list
Putting together a detailed shopping list including a budget is the key to not overspending on Christmas gifts. As soon as you stray from your list for one item, the next thing you know, you’ve bought everyone entirely different gifts and you’re way over budget. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do your research online before writing up your list, filling in prices as you go and use these prices as your maximum price. This way, you know how much everything is likely to cost, and any differences will be in your favour if you find the items cheaper.
Don’t forget to do your research
The key to shopping for Christmas effectively is simply knowing how to do your research properly prior to purchase. There are so many online services available that will make the process as quick and easy as possible. Online couponing sites like Flipit Singapore offer unique codes to use at checkout for an automatic discount, so it’s worth doing your research to see which relevant codes are available before making your purchase (Also check out Flipit Singapore’s Christmas Exclusives page for festive period codes). In addition to this, price comparison sites such as Shopbot allow you to compare prices of a product across different stores (both online and in stores) before making your decision. These sites also feature a whole host of customer reviews so you can be confident about which product to go for.
Buying something online without reading the small print
When shopping online, always remember to read the small print so you know exactly what you’re in for. Similarly, when making a purchase in store, always enquire about the company’s returns policy before handing your cash over. Some stores only offer exchanges rather than refunds, which can be limiting, and many stores only have a 14 window period for returns. If you’re as organised as you should be, there’s a chance this might even run out before gifts are exchanged on Christmas Day!
And finally… don’t forget to ask for a gift receipt!
Katie Paterson is a Researcher for global money-saving platform, Flipit.com. Analysing digital advertising and marketing trends in Asia and Oceania, Katie works with a strong focus on social network, e-commerce and m-commerce trends. Originally hailing from Scotland, she spent the last three years living, working and completing a Research Master’s in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She has published topics associated with global e-commerce trends, consumer behaviour, and the future of shopping.
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