Three Reasons to Start Your Holiday Shopping Now

Posted by Sha'Kreshia Terrell in BudgetingJuly 14, 2022(Last Updated July 29, 2022)•4 min read

Key Takeaways

More than half of Americans wait until the week before Christmas to go shopping because most people assume that the best deals are closer to the time of the holiday.
Retailers spend billions of dollars during the holiday season to entice consumers to spend money.
Shopping throughout the year can save you time and money.

Are you ready to make some real money moves?

The holidays are a time for celebrating family and gift-giving from the heart. If you are one of many who tend to overspend during the holidays, then the best time for you to start your holiday shopping is now.

According to Fortunly, 62% of Americans wait until the week before Christmas to start buying gifts. As the holiday season approaches, businesses tend to spend tons of money on their marketing strategies. Keen marketing tactics allow businesses to appeal to their target customers mentally and emotionally which makes consumers feel more inclined to spend money.

As the holiday season approaches, so do the emotions that come with it. The lack of preparedness and sometimes finances can take a toll on you. Brain fog adds to the amount of stress that you are under from procrastinating making it harder to enjoy the real meaning behind the holidays.

The way to get ahead is to start shopping early. Keep reading to learn about three reasons why you should start your holiday shopping now.

Shopping Now May Create Less Stress Later

Starting your holiday shopping earlier in the year can help reduce the stress that you may feel toward the end of the year. This is the time that most people cram all their holiday shopping into a couple of days.

Following this trick allows you time to prepare mentally and financially. It allows you time to plan to give genuine gifts versus giving something that was left on the store shelves due to waiting until the last minute.

Procrastination is a big factor that leads to stress and can make responsibilities seem much bigger than they are when you wait until the last minute. This whirlwind of stress can decrease your ability to freely enjoy the holidays.

The recent pandemic has also taken a toll on supply and demand. Expect prices to be significantly higher this year during the holiday season than they have in the past. You should also expect supply to be in limited quantities. So waiting until the last minute to shop isn’t a good idea because there may not be enough inventory left toward the end of the year, which also allows companies to jack up their prices due to the widespread demand.

Decrease Overall Debt

High prices can increase the chances of consumers digging themselves into a deeper debt hole. If you start shopping earlier in the year, you can potentially increase the chances of ending up in debt.

According to a 2021 survey by Money Geek, 41% of Americans put 90% of their holiday spending on their credit cards. This could largely be contributed to the fact that most wait until the end of the year or around the holiday season to buy gifts.

Waiting until the end of the year to shop can carry your debt over into the following year. The 2021 holiday survey also noted that by 2022, 40% of those spenders had not paid off their credit card debt.

Interest rates accrue for each billing cycle. Before you know it, you will find yourself going into another holiday season while still paying off debt from the previous season. The United States Federal Reserve recently increased interest rates which makes it more difficult for consumers to purchase certain items and to get out of credit card debt.

There is a popular saying that people should keep in mind when spending money, “It is easier to spend other people's money than it is your own but it is much harder to be disciplined to pay someone else back rather than yourself.” This means it’s important to stay disciplined and only spend money that's within your budget.

Take Advantage of Year-Round Sales

Retailers spend billions of dollars each year around the holidays to evoke emotion and nostalgia. This means that retailers they'll be offering discounted prices on their products to encourage people like you to spend money now rather than later.

Email and social media advertising are at an all-time high. Businesses know where their target markets hang out and they will be right in front of your eyes everywhere you turn.

To beat their marketing strategy, take advantage of sales throughout the year. Many businesses host semi-annual sales with great discounts during the year. This is the best time to stock up on gifts for the coming holidays. January and July tend to be the best months to shop for significant discounts.

For some, to get into the holiday spirit, they have to wait until the holidays arrive to do their shopping. If you are in that category, the best strategy would be to save before Black Friday or Cyber Monday then do your shopping. It will be less stressful knowing that you are prepared financially and all that you have to worry about is finding the perfect gift.

The Money Wrap-Up

Shopping early can bring about true peace and joy during the holiday season. As the pandemic subsides and life gets back to being somewhat normal, it is important to get prepared and stay prepared when it comes to your finances.

The recent rise in interest rate hikes is going to make it harder for consumers to pay off their credit card and loan debt. Start now by saving early. You can put as much as you want or as little as you want into a savings account and keep an eye out for sales. The key is to just be prepared.

Unsubscribe from email offers that entice you to constantly spend. When you don’t receive constant emails reminding you about a sale then you will be less likely to spend money.

The holidays don’t have to be stressful. If you plan to start your shopping sooner rather than later you can spend more time enjoying loved ones while making lasting memories.