How To Holiday Shop On A Budget

American Investment Planners LLC

500 North Broadway, Suite 260, Jericho, NY 11753

(516) 932-5130 / (866) 932-5130

If you haven't already started thinking about it, we bet holiday shopping will pop into your mind after Thanksgiving dinner is done. After all, Black Friday ultimately kicks off the season, and if you want to get ahead you're probably at least considering getting started in the next week or so. But just because days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday exist where you can find killer sales for the most sought out items on this year's wish-lists, we know not everyone has the leisure of swiping their credit card without a care - that's why we've prepared these tips on how to find the perfect gifts on a budget:

Create categories: Start by making a list of all those you plan to buy gifts for, then divide them into categories - for example, family, friends, work and school. After this is set, decide how much of your budget you'd like to allocate to each group. Since chances are you probably want to spend more on family than your coworkers, setting a budget for each category can help you avoid overspending on certain individuals.

No new credit cards: A common question that you'll likely be asked every time you shop at a new store is if you'd like to open a store card. Although they may offer exciting incentives such as a certain percent off of your purchase, saying yes could dig you into a hole since you may be inclined to spend more as a result. 

Avoid last minute trips: If you're looking to get the best bang for your buck, you don't want to be out shopping the day before it's time to exchange gifts. Why? At this point, you won't have enough time to look for coupons or compare prices at other stores. To feel confident that you found the best price in town, you should have your shopping done well before the holidays actually arrive.

Considering that the holidays are supposed to be an exciting time of year, we certainly don't want you to feel like you can't enjoy them because you have a strict budget to follow - that's where these three tips come into play. And the best part is, they're all pretty simple to follow!

American Investment Planners LLC offers tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning and more to generations of families throughout the United States. More information about the services offered is available at www.americaninvestmentplanners.com.