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How to Get Through the Holidays Without Going Broke
Start a new tradition
For those who are able to see your family in person this holiday season, you can save money by doing a white elephant gift exchange instead of buying gifts.
Another fun activity is cooking a special meal or playing old fashioned charades.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Key Ideas
Myth: Shop Early for the Best Deals
While early holiday shopping can snag you discounts and the best selection, you are most likely to get the best deal just before holiday shopping.
Retailers need to move h...
Myth: Buy Coupons for Huge Discounts
Coupons are sold in lots to allow couponers to stock up on the best deals.
While coupons are great to save money, it does not make sense to spend on coupons in order to save. Coupons vary greatly by geographic location and store, and may not apply to your geographic area. Instead of buying coupons, get the Sunday paper for better ads, download an app or keep a coupon binder to stash extras.
Myth: Always Buy in Bulk
It makes sense to stock up on non-perishable items such as soap and canned goods.
However, buying wholesale perishable items like fruit and milk might mean it goes to waste if you can't consume it before the expiration date.
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Key Ideas
Why Black Friday Is So Popular
Black Friday is the conventional starting day for the holiday shopping season.
Historically, it’s also been the best day to find great deals on the year’s hottest toys, gam...
The 20th Century: The Parade of Sponsors
- In the middle of the 20th century, Thanksgiving parades drew crowds in most major cities and in some of the smaller towns too. Many were sponsored by local or national retailers. Back in the day, that meant mostly department stores.
- By attaching their names to the most visible events on the preholiday calendar, department stores reminded their customers that they were open for business in the coming holiday shopping season.
- Over time, Thanksgiving parades came to mark the unofficial start of that season.
The Modern Holiday Shopping Calendar
- Thanksgiving fell on the last Thursday of November since 1863 until 1939, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November (starting with 1941), influenced by the request of a powerful coalition of retailers.
- When Thanksgiving fell on November 30, it left only 24 holiday shopping days and this worried retailers who reasoned that busy holiday shoppers would simply shop less in a shorter season.
- They promoted the idea that a longer holiday shopping season would be good for the American economy.
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Key Ideas
Remember what’s essential about holidays
Start to let go of the non-essential
Let’s let go of the myth that you have to spend to give:
- Gift your family with some small experiences, such as caroling, baking, watching It’s a Wonderful Life;
- Volunteer as a family at a homeless shelter.
- Make meaningful gifts. A video of memories. A scrapbook.
- Bake gifts.
- Have an experience instead of giving material goods: do something fun together, go to the beach or a lake.
- Give the gift of your expertise. Are you good at fixing cars? Teaching music? Teaching cooking? Magic tricks? Help or teach someone something you’re good at.