Covid Christmas: Shopping Tips

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay


Christmas is less than two months away – much closer than it seems!  Covid-19 has definitely put a dampener on things, and it looks as if the country could be locked down on the 25th of December. Plus, the economic shock has left lots of families without the same resources they would normally have for Christmas shopping.

You can still swap presents and have festive decor, though, if you want to, even if your budget is small. All you need are some shopping tips and some resolve.


Get Some of Your Food and Party Supplies Online

Shoppers have been using the internet to buy presents for years, of course. Amazon promotions, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday have been useful for many. For groceries, though, most customers prefer the traditional methods. It might be time to consider buying some of those items online, too.

Although supporting local small businesses is always the best start to your shopping, (especially now, with so many small businesses closing) sometimes, the items you need aren’t available locally, or you desperately need to save some time. 

Many shoppers are expected to spend more digitally than in-store this Christmas, so online food and drink sales are expected to be higher.  By buying some of your food items early, online, you’ll have a special dinner with all the trimmings. Just tone it down by basing how much you buy on the number of people attending.

DIY Decorations

Why spend money on decorations when you can make some of them yourself? All it takes is a little bit of time and effort, and you’ll have everything from ornaments to cards. This guide on how to make a snow globe looks fun and not too difficult.

Tone Down Lead Up Events

One thing that adds to holiday expenses is that Halloween and Thanksgiving are right before  Christmas. It’s not unusual for some people to spend hundreds of dollars on candy and gifts in the fall. This year is different, though. Not as many kids will trick or treat because of Covid. So, fewer visitors will press the doorbell in search of candy, which means you don’t need to buy as much. You can save money by scaling back a bit on the purchase of sweet treats.


Make A Pact

When your bank balance doesn’t appear healthy, here’s something you can do – have an honest conversation. You might want to buy presents for the entire family, but it might not be feasible this year. With that in mind, speak to your family members and explain the situation. They might happily agree if they are in the same boat. One solution that works for many is to buy gifts for just the children. That way, the kids will still have a fun experience, and your budget will not be as tight.

What are some of your shopping tips for Christmas?

This post was contributed and was made possible by the support of our readers. 

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4 Comments

  1. Still trying to figure it out but I imagine money is tight for my extended family this year. I tend to get a lot of toys through work for my nieces and nephews and kids, and that helps a lot.
    And to see each other, we'll be probably quarantining or all taking COVID tests. What a freaking year.

    1. What a freaking year, absolutely! I'm not sure what our holiday celebrations will be like. They will be different, for sure.

  2. Thanks for the helpful tips. I am planning to make at least one homemade gift for immediate family members — all adults.

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