Be Frugal, Frugal Living, Frugal Living Tips, Frugal Recipes, Better Budgeting, Money Saving Tips, Frugal Column, Simple Living, Budgeting Tips, Frugal Blog


Want to see your ad here? Contact Us


Free Samples



How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
in Your Kitchen the Frugal Way




christmas shopping

Christmas Shopping the Day after Thanksgiving: Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving is commonly referred to as “Black Friday”. This day is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the years and for many signifies the first day of Christmas shopping. While the term black Friday was originally used to represent the day in which retailers returned to profitability many who work in the retail industry use this term as a way to describe the crowds and chaos which accompany Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. Likewise consumers expect significant sales to go along with the large crowds which flock to stores.

For many shopping on the day after Thanksgiving is a tradition which wouldn’t be missed for the world. These individuals look forward to the sales and starting their shopping as a way to get into the Christmas spirit. These individuals can be counted on to arrive before the malls and shopping centers even open to get a great parking spot, to make multiple trips to their cars to drop off packages before returning to the shopping area to make more purchases and to almost literally shop until they drop. These are the individuals retailers count on each year to boost their quarterly earnings and to help them report profitability for the year.

Those who enjoy Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving feel this way for a number of different reasons. Some enjoy shopping on this day for the tremendous sales which are inevitable. Still others enjoy shopping on this day because they like to take things one season as a time and figure now that Thanksgiving is over; it is time to start focusing on Christmas. There are even others who like shopping on this day for the excellent people watching opportunity the day presents. Whether or not they get any actual shopping done these individuals flock to shopping malls on the day after Thanksgiving because they know there will be tons of other shoppers to observe. Finally there are those who start their Christmas shopping on the day after Thanksgiving because of a sense of tradition. It is these individuals who have simply always started their Christmas shopping on this day out of habit. Their parents probably started Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving and they simply learned this is the day to start Christmas shopping. They will also likely pass on the habit to their own children.

Conversely there are other shoppers who absolutely refuse to step foot inside a mall or shopping center on the day after Thanksgiving. For these shoppers trying to get any shopping done on this day is near impossible. They are willing to sacrifice the opportunity to buy some items as gifts at excellent sale prices just to avoid the throng of shoppers who swarm the stores on this one particular day. However, it is important to not that just because these shoppers avoid shopping areas on the day after Thanksgiving does not mean they don’t enjoy great sale prices on the Christmas gifts they purchase. These shoppers may take advantage of sales throughout the year to accomplish their Christmas shopping within their set budget.

There are still others who typically do not do any shopping on the day after Thanksgiving but these individuals do not necessarily avoid the malls and shopping areas on this day either. There are many people who enjoy taking a trip to the local mall or shopping center on the day after Thanksgiving just to enjoy the hustle and bustle the day presents. For these people just walking around and experiencing the excitement around them helps to put them into the holiday spirit.

Whether you are an early Christmas shopper, a last minute Christmas shopper or just a people watcher, you likely understand it is appropriate to expect large crowds in malls and shopping centers on the day after Thanksgiving. It is up to you to decide whether or not you choose to join the shoppers on this hectic day.

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter

{ 0 comments }

Christmas Shopping – Start Early and Save Money!

When should you purchase Christmas presents? Many people wait far too long to do this. 

There are a number of reasons to shop early. Here are five of the best:

1. More availability

When the holiday rush is on, there will be a limited supply of items. When you purchase at a time when there isn’t demand, you ensure the product is still available. So the quality of your gifts is likely to be better.

Often time when you wait until the last minute and the product isn’t available, you have to get something nobody wants. When you do your shopping early, you ensure your presents are well thought out.

2. Spreading out the expenses

When you make all your purchases in December, this can wreak havoc with your finances. Instead, when you spread out the cost over the whole year, you will take less of a hit.

The reality is, you never know what expenses you will have in December. What if your car breaks down and you have to spend $1000 to fix it? This will seriously lower the amount of money you have to spend on Christmas presents. So buying throughout the year, instead of all at once, ensures you won’t be caught unprepared.

3. Save money

This is one of the biggest reasons to shop early. While there are many “sales” during Christmas, few of them are legit. This is because the stores actually raise their prices right before the sale. They then “mark them down”, giving the item the appearance it’s on sale.

In reality, it will still cost more than what you would have paid at non-peak season. After all, why would they have a sale when demand is at its highest?

4. Save time

When you go to the stores during December, they are much more crowded, and it takes a lot more time. Wouldn’t you rather be spending your time doing something else?

5. On time presents

When you wait until the last minute to get something, you just are asking for trouble. If the product has to be shipped, there is a high probability it won’t arrive on time. When you buy something in July, on the other hand, you are guaranteed an early arrival.

Just don’t forget to keep track of what you’ve already purchased. This will prevent you from buying the same item twice.

The bottom line is, there are many reasons to do your shopping early. These are five of the most important. So get started shopping now. When Christmas rolls around, you will be prepared.

Share this:
Share this page via Email Share this page via Stumble Upon Share this page via Digg this Share this page via Facebook Share this page via Twitter

{ 0 comments }