Smart Boxing Day shopping involves planning ahead, using cash or debit, and leveraging price comparison tools.
Q: As our kids have got older and moved away for school or work, the holiday season has taken on a new rhythm for us. My wife and I now spend Christmas with empty-nester friends and visit our elderly parents in their care homes. Our kids often can’t make it home for the holidays, which was tough at first, but we’ve found other ways to share joy throughout the year. This gives us more time to enjoy each other’s company, away from the rush and expense of holiday travel. However, we still like to send each of our kids a gift for their households and always ask them for a few ideas. Because they know this, and they also like to buy things at good prices, they have asked us to shop for the items after Christmas when they typically go on sale for Boxing Day. Have you got any tips to get the most out of shopping on Boxing Day? ~Marvin
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A: Boxing Day has long been synonymous with incredible sales and bargain hunting, and a prime opportunity to grab items at significantly reduced prices. However, navigating these sales requires a strategic approach to ensure you’re getting the best deals without falling into the common traps.
Successful Boxing Day shopping hinges on smart decision-making. Shoppers who plan ahead can enjoy substantial savings and avoid the stress and disappointment that often comes with poorly timed or impulsive purchases. Whether you’re looking for the latest tech gadgets, fashionable clothing, or household essentials, understanding how best to prepare is important for a rewarding shopping experience.
Identify what you’re shopping for
To avoid buyer’s remorse, it’s important to do your homework when aiming to score the best deals and stay sane amid the Boxing Day shopping frenzy. Begin by listing the items you want to buy and setting a budget for what you’re willing to spend. Research the products you’re interested in and compare various models to narrow your choices. Sometimes older models or different colours can be less expensive than the current versions on sale.
Research return, price adjustment, and warranty policies, as many retailers offer price matching or extensions on price adjustments for previously purchased items. This could come into play if a year-end clearance deal is better than a Boxing Day price, or if you’re able to pick up what you need before the Boxing Day sale starts. If you’re shipping items to loved ones, make sure they can return or claim warranty on the products locally. While getting the item you want at the most competitive price is always a smart choice, a retailer’s policies or the quality of one item over another might ultimately determine your purchasing decision.
Avoid falling for pricing games
When shopping during Boxing Day sales, be cautious of window shopping or aimlessly browsing online. Retailers use enticing tactics to encourage spending, from creating a fear of missing out, to promoting urgency that a deal will end or stock will run out on an item that they have you believe is at the best price you’ll ever find. There will always be a next big sale, and shoppers need to stay vigilant to avoid filling their baskets with impulsive purchases they neither need nor want.
One tactic retailers often employ to attract shoppers and maximize their profits, is setting high initial prices and then heavily discounting them to create the illusion of a great deal. To navigate offers effectively, compare prices on the same or similar items from different retailers in advance. It can help to leave several browser tabs open on your phone or laptop for quick access to verify price changes or sales as you do your homework. Utilize price comparison tools and websites, apps, and browser extensions that aggregate pricing data and provide historical averages. This helps you identify genuine discounts and avoid being misled by inflated presale prices. However, keep in mind that while these tools can be helpful, they are only as good as the information they have access to.
Be wary of limited time offers and scarcity tactics that create a sense of urgency, prompting quick decisions. Similarly, popular items sold at extremely low prices, such as door crashers, are designed to draw you into the store in the hopes that it can lead to additional purchases of more profitable products. To stay focused, create a specific list with the prices of items from various retailers. As you search through flyers, apps, and websites, update your list and keep track of the best deals. You may also want to follow retailers on social media to be notified about flash sales and exclusive discounts, enable push notifications on your smartphone for price alerts, or sign up for newsletters to receive promotions directly. Update your shopping list as you receive updated pricing information.
The secret to getting the best Boxing Day deals
Shopping with cash instead of using credit cards can be a key strategy for saving money on Boxing Day. Using cash, debit, or gift cards forces you to stick to a predetermined budget, which naturally curtails overspending; once the money is gone, it’s gone. Credit cards, on the other hand, can lead to impulse buys and exceeding your budget because the immediate financial impact of your spending isn’t felt.
For online shopping, credit cards are convenient, but they come with the risk of accruing interest and fees if you don’t pay off your balance in full each month. The added expense from these ongoing debt payments will offset the savings you enjoyed from the Boxing Day deals. However, if you must use a credit card for online purchases, ensure that you have the cash on hand and can pay it toward your card right away.
If you want to engage in post-Christmas shopping without going overboard, stick with cash, debit, or gift cards to pay for planned purchases. While the act of handing over cash creates a stronger sense of value for your money than debit and gift cards do, all three forms of payment lead to more thoughtful spending decisions compared to tapping or clicking a credit card. Overall, shopping with cash helps you stay within your means, avoid unnecessary debt, and make more deliberate purchasing choices during the frenzy of Boxing Day sales.
The bottom line on saving money when shopping on Boxing Day
Many Boxing Day deals will be available online as you finish celebrating on Christmas Day. If you make purchases online and still plan to shop in person, take along a list of what you bought so that you don’t duplicate your efforts. Then, before venturing out, map your route. Knowing which stores you’ll visit first and having a strategy can reduce stress and help you get the best deals with the least amount of frustration. By being well prepared, you can avoid the worst of the chaos of Boxing Day shopping and turn it into a rewarding, or even enjoyable, experience.
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