The Biggest Holiday Shopping Mistakes

Buying Everything Online

Although shopping online is super convenient and inexpensive, there are a few items that are just not worth buying online

• Heavy items
• Clothing- sales are generally much better in stores, plus returns can be a huge hassle.

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• Appliances
• Inexpensive items-it's not worth the shipping costs. Don't pay $5 for shipping a $5 item.

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Stressing Out Over Parking

Parking is bound to be hard to find. Instead of driving up and down the aisles looking for a close spot, just park further away.  Someone can always go and pull the car around when you need to load up the shopping bags at the end of the day.

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Forgetting To Return Unwanted Gifts

Make sure you take your time after the holidays to take care of all returns and exchanges right away before they are forgotten.

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Getting Wrapped Up In Spending and Gifting

While there seems to be nothing better than the feeling of giving someone a gift they'll always cherish, don't forget what the holidays are all about. Plan your shopping strategically and you'll have more time to actually spend with the ones you love!

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Overspending

This one may be the most obvious mistake, but it still needs to be said.  Whether it's by buying too many gifts for each person on your list or throwing in a personal gift at every store, it is easy to overspend during the holidays.

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Waiting Too Long

It may seem like a great idea to wait until the last minute to hit the stores, but you'll only be making things harder on yourself.  Think you'll avoid crowds? Not likely. You definitely will be getting a much smaller selection and missing the good deals.

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Forgetting To Make a List

It may seem unnecessary to actually write a physical list, but trust us it's not! You'd be surprised who you can forget when caught up in the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.  You don't want to get home and realize you didn't pick up anything for a special person.

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Trying Too Hard To Impress Everyone

Save the big gifts for those closest to you.  You don't need to buy everyone on your list an expensive gift.

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Neglecting Your Hosts

Don't forget to buy gifts for hosts of parties and dinners you'll be attending this season. If you don't have set plans yet, buy a few standard gifts that most anyone would appreciate.

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Settling Too Soon

Don't just settle for a more expensive version of what you want because of convenience. Shop around online first and scope out where the deals are before heading out to the stores.

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Swiping That Credit Card

No gifts are worth racking up a bunch of debt you'll have to spend all year paying off. Keep track of your credit card spending and be realistic with your spending limits.

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Shopping During Prime Time

It's hard when you work a standard 9-5 job, but try to avoid shopping during prime time.  Weekends can be so crowded, you'll be fighting for products and chances of you receiving help from store employees will be slim. Try to go when you can shop around a little more leisurely.

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Behaving Less Than Courteously

For retail workers, this time of year brings extremely long hours and a great deal more stress than any other time of the year. So, treat everyone you encounter with kindness and respect. Spread some holiday cheer!

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