Four tips to consider during Christmas shopping

Yuletide comes with many activities as it is a season usually characterised by shopping, travelling, and lots of merriment.

For holiday shopping, it is essential to have a Yuletide survival guide to help you avoid some of the biggest shopping mistakes and to prevent yourself from overspending.

Here are four tips that can guide your shopping decisions this Christmas:

Create a holiday budget and stick with it!

As much as you want to have all the fun in the world, you need to create a holiday budget to help you manage your spending and ensure you don’t break the bank.

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You should make a list of what you want to buy and the amount you plan to spend on the gifts. As you spend the money, subtract it from your total. This will help you stick to your holiday budget. It would be best to stop spending when you have used up all of your holiday money.

Avoid debts

In all you do, don’t run into debt. It is tempting when you finally have money to buy extravagant gifts for everyone on your list. You may want to buy an extra nice gift for your parents or a close friend but try not to go overboard on everyone’s gift.

Always remember that a new year is ahead, and there will always be expenses after the festivities have died down.

Be safe while shopping

Avoid moving with large amounts of money. The advent of debit cards and mobile banking has made this easy, so you can easily go cashless.

However, beware of scams and avoid sharing sensitive information such as debit card numbers, bank verification numbers, and transaction PINs while transferring funds or paying with a Point of Sales machine.

For bulk purchases, always plan out your method of conveying your goods from the market to the house. You may want to hire a van or explore other options if you don’t have a personal vehicle. Plans should be made before shopping to help you manage logistics and save costs.

Beware of online scammers

For ease of buying, you may need to shop online. For online shopping, patronise authentic vendors. Avoid pop-up ads which may contain malware. It is advisable to visit a trusted e-commerce site or online shopping website.

When paying, check that the site you are on is secure. The site address should start with “https: //” with a closed padlock at the top of the browser window.

It is also recommended to ask your bank to set up a double precaution to make your purchase. It could be a confirmation via your bank’s mobile application or a code (One Time Password) received by SMS.