Dave Ramsey offers some tips on how to make your post-holiday shopping not so painful in January. He also offers financial advice on many topics that can be found on www.daveramsey.com.
Some of you may be headed out today, on Black Friday, in search for great deals. Here are three tips to keep in mind while you shop to help ease the after-Christmas bills blues, because nobody likes to sing that tune.
1. Research
Before you head to the mall, look for deals online. Visit the websites of the stores you plan to visit, and check out their prices. Don’t waste your time shopping at one store if you know the store down the street has a better deal.
2. Make a budget
This is common-sense stuff, but it’s amazing how many people have no financial plan for their spending. They are like an energetic kid in a toy store, grabbing the first toy that looks pretty and tossing it into the shopping cart. In order to work your way out of debt, you must become disciplined during the holiday season. If you must buy for everyone, keep it simple and stay within your means–however meager they may be. Don’t get caught up in “bigger is better,” or else the bigger debt in January will remind you of how stupid that mindset is.
3. Use cash
As Dave says, you spend less when you use cash. Before you hit the stores, swing by the ATM and pick up a pre-planned amount of money. Then, stop shopping when it’s gone. If you planned ahead and followed the two steps listed above, then using cash should be easy. You’ll know what you need to buy and how much it will cost–before you start.
To help you stay organized for your holiday shopping, try using iMOM’s Money Saving Christmas Gift Planner before you leave the house.
© 2011 by Dave Ramsey. Dave Ramsey’s Thoughts on Holiday Shopping, You Don’t Have to Go In Debt to Celebrate. All Rights Reserved. Originally published at www.daveramsey.com.
