QUINCY (WGEM) – With Halloween wrapped up, the gift-giving season is knocking on the door.
It is easy to get caught up in all the holiday shopping and spend a bit too much money. Even if it is coming from the right place, it is important to remind mindful of your wallet when thinking about what to gift your loved ones.
So how do you keep money in mind? Start by creating a holiday spending budget, says Quincy Better Business Bureau (BBB) Regional Director Don O’Brien.
“We just see things we like at this time of year, and we want to make sure that we get our loved ones whatever they might want. But you have to do that within reason. So, making a budget is very important,” said O’Brien.
He noted sticking to the budget can be difficult, but it is just as important as creating one in the first place.
Another tip O‘Brien recommended is to do a cost-benefits analysis, and consider not buying everyone a gift. That doesn’t necessarily mean not gifting something, though. He said homemade gifts make both thoughtful and cost-saving presents.
He also advises that you learn stores’ return policies and hold onto receipts of your purchases.
“It‘s a fun time of year, we want to make sure we treat our loved ones and we get them good things, but we also don’t want to have them be stuck with nothing if they can’t return it, or we can’t get a hold of the retailer at all,” said O’Brien.
Getting in contact with retailers can be a challenge if it‘s something like a pop-up holiday gift shop. So, O’Brien said if you make a purchase through one, to try and get contact information if possible.
O’Brien also warned against potential online scams, and said shoppers should try and remain on trusted, reputable sites when possible.
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