The Christmas shopping rush seems to start earlier every year. Black Friday deals have turned Thanksgiving from a lovely dinner to a strategy session for groups of shoppers trying to beat the massive crowds to the best “door-busters.” So instead of giving thanks for what and who we have, many are just battling for more. Still, I’m a fan of early Christmas shopping. So that’s why I think you should get your Christmas shopping down before Thanksgiving, and spend the holiday with friends and family—not at the mall!
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Here are four smart reasons to start Christmas shopping early:
1. Find great deals: We all know Black Friday offers some ridiculous deals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find similar deals over the months preceding the holiday shopping season. With the extra time, you can wait patiently for deals on the items you want to give.
Year in year out, some of the biggest eye-grabbing deals are on tech items like TVs, computers, and Blu-Ray players, but if you look carefully, you’ll notice that the technology behind these items is usually not comparable to the most recent models. Yet refurbished computers and cell phones can come at discounts greater than some you might find after Thanksgiving, and many still come with warranties.
You can also save a lot of money by buying discounted gift cards online, but these deals go fast, so you will definitely find better deals during the pre-holiday shopping window.
2. Save time: With the hustle and bustle at shopping centers between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a miracle to spend less than two hours per trip shopping for even just a few items. Add traffic and circling the parking lot to find a spot and it’s hard to find time for anything else in a day. Instead, with months to shop, keep your Christmas list in your purse all the time, so whenever you happen to be in or near a store where something on the list is, you can pop in and check that person off your list.
3. Make better decisions: Without the crowds and with plenty of time, you won’t be pressured into buying something that isn’t either perfect or a great deal. And if it really is the thought that counts, a well thought out purchase is more thoughtful than a mad grab for discounted DVDs.
4. Stress-free holidays: There will almost always be some stress with the holiday season, but taking care of your Christmas shopping early can free you up to enjoy some of the “good” stressors, like needing to bake cookies for your kids to take to school or hosting your family’s Christmas dinner for the first time. After all, the holidays are a time that should be spent with friends and family, not elbowing strangers over this year’s hot item.
Jared Jacobs has professional and personal interests in technology. As an employee of Dell, he has to stay up to date on the latest innovations in large enterprise solutions and consumer electronics buying trends.
