ORLANDO, Fla. — Another month has gone by and it’s another month the feds have raised interest rates. That means higher prices on just about everything as we head into the holiday shopping season. More than 59 percent of Americans are stressed about buying gifts due to higher prices.
27 percent of people expect to go into debt for holiday gift giving. But there are things you can do to help save money this season. Ivanhoe has the story.
The holidays, it’s all about this…But getting the kiddos what they want will cost more this year. You can say inflation is a real scrooge!
According to bankrate.com, 40 percent of holiday shoppers said inflation is changing the way they shop. Half of holiday shoppers said they started shopping before Halloween, they’re planning to buy fewer items, less expensive brands and they’re planning to put more on their cards.
“They will charge, charge, charge and not realize what is that interest rate if you can't pay it off the very next month.” says Jeannette Bajalia. Financial Planner and President/Founder of Woman’s Worth
One thing the experts are saying to do -- start buying now. It will allow you to spread out your cash flow and find the best deals.
“If you're gonna buy your kids, grandkids gifts, then start now finding them at low affordable costs. That's the first thing, the second thing is do a budget.” Bajalia added.
Use a gift-tracking app like Santa’s Bag where you can keep tabs on what you’ve bought, the cost and who it was for.
Sign up for loyalty programs and earn points for merchandise and take advantage of discounts. Also, you’ll be first to know about a sale or a product coming in stock.
Now is a good time to learn to stack discounts. Go online and use credit card rewards, combined with online shopping portals and store coupons.
Snap photos of your receipts then use an app like Fetch Rewards to earn points that are good toward free gift cards at stores such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
Consumer experts say shelves will be full, but they will be full of lower-priced options to help mom and dad make the most of the money they do have, and remember…
“Just don't spend any more than you can afford. It's just it, the future is more important than the now.” Said Bajalia.
Maximize your shopping by using credit cards that offer points or cash back. Also, if you qualify, now is the time to sign up for a new card offering a sign-up bonus or cash back. You could earn free money to put towards holiday spending.
