Have you started holiday shopping? If you want to avoid carrying holiday debt into the New Year, the time to start preparing is NOW.
Trae Bodge, a Smart Shopping Expert at truetrae.com, has some key strategies to use now to avoid debt later.
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4 Expert Tips to Avoid Holiday Debt
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- Look back on what you spent last year. That way, you know if you need to reduce the amount you spend per person, remove recipients from your list, or propose drawing names if you give gifts in a big group.
- Find money to shop if you don’t think you currently have enough. One way might be to switch your mobile carrier, for example (Trae is a paid spokesperson for Mint Mobile). Or temporarily give up recurring expenses like daily lattes or getting your nails done.
- Look out for early sales but be aware that the things you buy now may not have the generous return policies that often pop up closer to the holidays.
- Plan for the items you know you want to buy by signing up for deal alerts. One way to do that is through Slickdeals.net (Trae is a paid spokesperson for Slickdeals).
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