The Brain-Based Way to Shop for Holidays – Use Cash!
If you have a desire to shop smart and shop savvy this month, use your brain, use math, and use cash!
For most, the act of gift-giving is an essential aspect of the celebrations this time of year. Many will make promises to themselves – with the best intentions – that they will shop early and that they will shop as smart as possible; however, as the holidays draw nearer, many find themselves getting bogged down with the typical routines of life and the standard emergencies that are commonly experienced during the winter season.
As a result, gift purchases become disorganized, confusing, and extremely rushed. Most will develop a bit of sticker shock when the New Year rolls around and they discover that they’ve spent a tad too much.
In this brief guide, we will share some simple brain-based strategies to shop for the holidays – the main being, to use cash!
Limit Holiday Spending. Stick to a Budget
The first brain-based method of shopping smart for the holidays is to limit spending by setting a budget.
The economic conditions the past few years has been less-than-favorable. Many are paying more attention to how they spend their money.
Additional expenses are often viewed as a burden; however, gift-giving is an age-old tradition in which most of us indulge. Simply set aside that which you have available – without infringing upon your monthly financial obligations or tapping into your emergency fund.
Once you have the amount set that you are able to spend, divide that by the number of people that you have to buy for and stick to that amount.
Even if you are tempted, avoid over-indulging.
Search for Better Deals
The next strategy that you may use in order to get the best deals this holiday season is to research sales offered by various retailers.
You should review prices, determine if there are store coupons available, and check for manufacturer coupons. If you do this, you are sure to find that it’s relatively easy to purchase a few awesome gifts for your loved ones without breaking the bank!
You should also look into shopping and saving apps. These are designed to alert you to the best prices on the favorite items for the holidays.
Do the Math
The final brain-based technique for smart and savvy holiday shopping is to, simply, do the math! All of these tips and techniques are great ways to get your student involved in making brain-based decisions about money, while reinforcing math skills! If math is not your strong suit, or you would like your child to get a little assistance with this endeavor, Miracle Math Coaching can help! Our one-on-one coaching program does more than just practice math facts, we teach life skills, which far exceeds helping school-aged children with their math assignments. Call us or submit a Free Assessment online!
