Christmas Shopping = Impulse Buying
Impulsive Christmas shopping is a problem which plagues many during the holiday season and it can have a variety of complications. (Like and excessed credit card and lots of yukky fees.)Â
Some of the problems which often stem from impulsive Christmas shopping are going over budget, buying frivolous items and even forgetting about items that were already purchased. None of which I will EVER admit to. SO don’t even ask, OK?
All of these problems can pose their own set of dilemmas, however, it is important to remember that although there are many problems associated with impulsive Christmas shopping there is also some merit to this shopping tactic. Yes, not all is lost, if you are anything like me.
Going over budget is one of the major concerns of impulsive Christmas shopping. (Although, for this to happen you DO need a budget to start with….) A common scenario is to pick up a few small items each time you go out Christmas shopping. These gifts may seem small and seemingly harmless to your budget but they can add up over time. I just idd this with presents for my step-daughter. Although I hope she is happy with all this cute stuff I got her! For example you may only be purchasing items which cost less than $10 but if you buy enough of these items, you could find yourself hundreds of dollars over budget without even realizing it.
One way to combat this problem is to write down each item and the price of every gift you buy. This will help you to be aware of how these small gifts can add up and may prevent you from shopping on impulse in the future. (This is good in theory.. but I’m really not that well organised. Maybe I just need to put my Christmas budget $$ into an envelope, and when it is gone.. it is gone!)
Purchasing frivolous gifts is another problem associated with impulsive Christmas shopping. You may see a few small items which you think will make cute gifts at the time but after you purchase these items you might realize they are actually quite silly. Again, I will NEVER admit to this. I think the displays in the store lead people astray. They look great when there is alot of stuff all in colourful piles, but one of two things separately don’t look quite so cute.Â
When this occurs you have two choices you can either return the item or replace it for a more meaningful gift or you could keep the item and give it to your friend or relative anyway. If you opt to return the item you may find yourself pressed for time to find a replacement gift depending on when you started shopping. If it is close to Christmas already, you may have difficulty finding some thing at the last minute and may have no choice but to give your friend or relative the gift you purchased on an impulse.
Or you could just keep it, or give it to someone else.
Another problem often associated with impulsive Christmas shopping is forgetting about items you have already purchased. If you purchase a number of small items on impulse you may put these gifts in a safe location and then completely forget about them. (And then find them later - in July.)Â When this happens you may end up buying additional gifts for those on your guest list who were supposed to receive the impulse gifts you already purchased. This can cause you to go over budget and also create unnecessary stress. Um. yep.
While there are many problems which are often associated with impulsive Christmas shopping, it is important to remember that sometimes impulsive Christmas shopping is a good idea. When you see an item that you just know will make the perfect Christmas gift for a friend or relative and purchase the item without giving it any thought that is the exact definition of impulsive shopping. However, it is also not necessarily a bad thing. Buying a gift on impulse is not a problem when the gift you purchase is a great gift for the intended recipient but impulse Christmas shopping becomes problematic when it causes the shopper to go over budget or purchase silly items they wouldn’t normally buy.
So really I can impulse buy as long as I buy good stuff and don’t lose it.
Okey Dokey. I’m SURE I can do that. 