The festive seasons are almost here again, where all the money earned goes to the trading world. During festive seasons, sellers are certainly sure of making great sales especially when it comes to selling things that people want at the moment. However, buyers need to take caution and be careful so they don’t spend more than necessary. These days people buy things that aren’t necessary because they have just been brainwashed by a very good sales person. It’s a deadly spending time of the year and you don’t want to end up in a big mess when the festive seasons finally come to an end. It gets worst when you have a habit of not saving, then that’s when you find yourself in serious trouble. Here are extremely good tips on how to overcome the temptations of excessive spending this festive season. Draw a scale of preference chart; this could be hard to draft especially when you have little or no time for yourself with tight weekends to handle. This is important and will take you less than 10 minutes. Try to put down what you need this festive season; this is when you differentiate between needs and wants. You have to buy what you need first and if it’s reasonable to spend the left over then you can get extra wants. Don’t buy what you want first because you’ll end up spending excessively in the market, which will ruin the whole idea of spending smartly. If you’re a mother, your kids wears (clothes and shoes) for Christmas are important but buying them water bottles, books etc. could be unnecessary, it’s Christmas and not school resumption, shop sensibly. Start shopping earlier, shopping during festive seasons denotes four times the normal price and it’s advisable to get some items one or two months before the festive season begins. Buying a Christmas tree or any other necessary item earlier is better, cause it will definitely be cheaper and you’ll get to save some money as well as have lesser shopping to do during festive seasons. Avoid going Shopping with excess cash, if you are boarding a public bus or cab, you need to hold two times the usual transport fare and if it’s your private car, you might want to purchase some fuel to avoid an unexpected breakdown. Apart from these possible situations, you really don’t need excess cash. Holding more than you initially budgeted for will lead to you spending your whole income and before you get back to reality, it’s already too late. You don’t want to be penniless after shopping, so go with the exact amount you need, it’s better to buy less than more. Buying things during shopping can be appealing and quite exciting especially when you are with excess cash; you tend to buy everything that catches your attention. Just one stare and that’s it! Remember there are other vital expenses you need to save for hence, be wise. Cultivate a good saving habit before the period, for example getting a savings account or a life insurance savings policy around the mid year (June or July) can save you the regrets of wasteful spending during festive seasons. Once you are tempted to buy unnecessary things, the bells ring to your ears reminding you of a savings account you have to fund. Have a purchasing alternative, it’s no news that prices of goods and services are inflated during festive periods so have a choice! If product A isn’t available or the price is unreasonably high, have a very close substitute in mind. Don’t just buy the exact thing because you want to prove to yourself or another that you can. Buying a substitute lesser than the intended product doesn’t mean it is of lesser quality. It could just be a case of a better marketing strategy and a good market penetration. Try a close substitute and spend less! You can buy your preferred items, when the festive seasons have ended. Take advantages of promos, many companies go on promos for their products and services during festive periods, so be vigilant. These goods are displayed and sold at cheaper rates than the original prices. Organizing a promo is how companies give back to their prospective customers and the public. It’s also like a corporate responsibility they owe to the citizens, these promos foster their goodwill, so when you come across promos on your favorite products, take advantage of them. That might be the same reason you intend going shopping in the first place therefore, pay less, and get the same quality of products. Lastly, consider the aftermath of festive seasons; it will surely end, especially when a new year creeps in. Think of what happens when the festive periods are gone; will you starve or live on a loan? Kids are resuming soon, your wife will put to bed soon, your building needs roofing, and your professional exams are around the corner, you need to pay your landlord, you need to fund your personal business, you need to purchase new office wears, you need to pay up the loan you took at the beginning of the year, you need to do a whole lot, so don’t get carried away and overspend during the festive season. Be very shrewd about spending and we hope these tips will be good guides on how to spend smartly during festive seasons.
photo credit; blackgirllonghair.com
