If you thought September was too early to start your Christmas shopping, think again. Recent research found that a whopping one in five shoppers (19%) have already secured their Christmas gifts.
The research, conducted by courier company Couriers Please, also found that a further third (34%) will have finished their holiday shopping by the end of this month and that another third (32%) would have it finished by October — all in a bid to ensure they score the best deals.
“Our research shows that in addition to rising costs, slow and disrupted supply chains are spilling over into consumer confidence,” says Jessica Ip, Chief Transformational Office at Couriers Please. “A sizeable proportion of Aussies are likely to look more closely at their discretionary income and tighten their pockets this year, leaving much smaller budgets for Christmas gift-giving.”
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It’s worth noting the research did find that 29% of those surveyed reported feeling comfortable leaving their shopping just a month before and that 6% planned to buy their gifts in December.
Still, though, if you are keen to score a bargain and want to avoid the stress possible shipping delays may cause, it’s at least worth considering starting early. If you are one of the many doing so, here are three things to keep in mind.
Be Strategic With Sales
If you have your eye on certain presents that are currently full-price, be sure to look at previous sales from the retailer or e-tailer as it’s likely they’ll run them again. Plus, there are usually countless on in the lead-up to Christmas.
Also, if you’re looking to buy from certain e-tailers, be sure to sign up for newsletters so you can be alerted as to when those sales are.
Consider Buying Experiences
If you live in a small home space with barely any storage, chances are you won’t want to be sharing space with a whole bunch of Christmas gifts for the next couple of months. So, if that’s the case, think about buying experiences instead of physical gifts.
Why not get your parents a stay at a fancy hotel? Why not get the kids a day visit to a waterpark? Not only do these gifts not take up valuable space, nor do they require wrapping, but they also give the recipient something to look forward to.
Leave Some Budget for Last-Minute Gifts
Finally, though you might want to get the bulk of your Christmas shopping out of the way early, it’s still worth setting aside some of your budget for last-minute gifts. Your friend or family member might happen to remark that they really need an item. Or you might save hundreds on a product you know they’d really love in the Black Friday sales.
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