Knowing this, why is there a need to tweak this practice? Below are some reasons you should start holiday shopping as early as today.
The Philippines is known to spend the longest holiday. As early as September, you can hear Christmas songs being played on the radio and on the streets. This steers the holiday more. Despite housing the longest holidays, do Filipinos mirror this in their shopping habits?
According to a study by Rappler, 55% say that they are holiday-shopping procrastinators. Meaning they only shop for their gifts and holiday needs during December. Only 24% fall under the month of November while only a handful 5% shop in September and October.
Read more: How to Avoid Overspending During the Holidays
Reason #1: There is a higher assortment
If everyone’s rushing their holiday shopping list, there is a higher chance that the items that are looking for will be out of stock. The most vulnerable items are those that go along with trends such as gaming consoles, cell phones, and other technological devices. If you want to be the owner of these sought-after items, then make sure not to do last-minute shopping.
Reason #2: You’ll get to manage your budget more
If you only do a one-time shopping, you’ll experience the budget toll more. You’ll feel the financial burden since you’re shelling out money in just one go. However, if you spread out the shopping instances over a longer period of time, it won’t be too much of a hurt to your pockets.
The best way to go about this is to prepare your gifting as early as August. Think about the item that you want to give them along with the budget that goes along with it. Then, schedule which month you will assign them so that you can gradually complete your shopping intent.
Reason #3: Prices are higher
Sellers know that Christmas time has a higher demand for gifting items. With simple Economics, we can easily deduce that prices will skyrocket with this higher demand and lower supply. Although this is also the time that deals are at an all-time high, the base price of these items is still way above than the regular months.
Reason #4: Shoppers get to save time
Admit it or not, it’s a headache to go out at the busiest time of the year. Aside from the pool of people that are walking in the malls or Divisoria, the most annoying aspect of it would be the long lines at the checkout counter and the long waiting time finding parking slots. By shopping during off hours, you can easily dedicate your time to more fruitful endeavors.
Reason #5: You get to divert your effort to more important holiday occasions
Prioritizing your to-do’s during the holiday is difficult with limited time and resources. By eliminating one of the time-consuming drivers, holiday shopping, it would be easier to focus on more important priorities. Instead of waiting in long lines, you can divert the energy and time to cooking more viand in preparation for your reunions.
Reason #6: Avoid high levels of debt
If you didn’t prioritize saving during this time, one tendency is to borrow from another person or institution to fulfill your holiday plans. If you don’t pay this off in its due time, interest rates will keep piling up. This will take a toll on your financial status in the next months.
Keep in mind, however, that there’s no problem using a credit card to pay for your holiday spending. This benefits you as you get cash back and earn reward points. But if you spend more than what you can pay for, that’s the dangerous thing during this time.
Reason #7: Online shipping cost is still reasonable
If you do not stroll around the mall to find the perfect gift, then your best resort would be the online world. What’s good about this platform is that it involves little effort to find the perfect gift. If you already know what you want to shop for, you just have to type it into the search bar. If you’re still conflicted but already know which category to explore, the online world is still your preferred option.
Admit it or not. However, it is during the holiday season when shipping costs are at an all-time high. There is so much demand that these platforms maximize their resources to deliver these items on time.
Don’t stress on the holidays
There are many reasons why it’s more advantageous to shop early during the holiday, but due to tradition, this might be a taboo to most people. Why not compare it for the first time this year with your experience last year? You’ll never know. You might never revert back to your procrastinator self after this!
