My Christmas Shopping Experience

This past week before Christmas I did something that I have not done since I was in college working retail: I closed down the mall. With $1,000 budget money in hand, we decided ahead of time to take advantage of Christmas sales going on to stock up on clothing items. Personally one of our goals in 2013 is to get out and do a bit more traveling. So at this point our travels will take us to a friends’ wedding in Arkansas, out to California a few times to visit my family, a high school reunion, possibly Europe or the Asia-Pacific as well as Nashville and Charleston. So in anticipation of these events my wife and I decided that it was time I stopped piecing together outfits from thrift stores and buy myself a few new suits, shirts, ties and a decent pair of dress shoes. These are all things that I have not paid retail for since I was in high school, and truth be told my parents paid for it (yes I was a spoiled brat).

And even with $1,000 in hand I still wanted a deal. So I figured the best possible prices I could get on these items would be right before or after Christmas to take advantage of the seasonal mark downs. Our first stop took us into JCPenny where I’ve had my eyes on getting slim fit suits that are priced a bit lower than 1,000% of cost to start with before sales even enter the equation. Penny’s had a decent selection but not enough variety. So my trek had my next destination set at Macy’s where all suits and related accessories were grossly over priced. I absolutely refuse to pay $300 for a suit, even if it is on sale. Call me crazy but searching on Google points me in a direction that with materials, labor and shipping from regions across the Asia-Pacific, that suits cost between $80 and $100 to bring to market. I would love to pay at or slightly above cost for these items, and through a major retailer I dream to beat them up on price and purchase these items at below cost. But I think it is crazy and outrageous, even with budgeted money, to pay substantially above retail price for the sake of a brand.

Needless to say I did not stay at Macy’s long. The last place on my hit list proved to be fruitful. At Sears my wife and I hunted to find an excellent assortment of what I was shopping for at excellent prices. So after tediously making sure that items fit and my wife giving her thumbs up and down to what she can/can’t tailor personally and triple checking with a sales clerk regarding what was in stock, my search to revamp my wardrobe at reasonable costs came to an end. When all was said and done we had purchased two suits, an extra pair of dress pants, a little more than a dozen dress shirts, a little more than a dozen ties, a belt, a sweet pair of great looking dress shoes and several items for my wife for a grand total was well under $600. And all we had to worry about was how to navigate our way out of the mall now that operating hours had been over.

So armed with $1,000 we took advantage of holiday sales to buy our list and then some and still had over $400 to spare. Our Christmas presents were already purchased and wrapped well before we stepped foot into the mall. And in the end I’ve come to the conclusion that Christmas shopping is not necessarily a bad thing. If you head in with a planned budgeted ceiling and the perspective of a hunter, Christmas shopping can become oddly enjoyable J!

My Christmas Shopping List

Christmas time is here and with it comes the Christmas gift list. Black Friday and Cyber Monday have officially kicked off the holiday shopping season. But your trusty neighborhood frugal fury fighter isn’t sweating it one bit. In fact the way we Christmas shop has been evolving in an interesting manner over the last few years.

In 2009 we started our total money makeover process and were in the midst of cash flowing our ensuing wedding expenses. Needless to say we did not prioritize a huge Christmas budget that year. Instead we started what has become a piece of our current tradition to make homemade gifts and Christmas cards as well as an annual family newsletter to talk about the happenings in our world over the past year. That first year we had set a Christmas budget of a few hundred dollars and stuck to it. Our Christmas list has generally consisted of each our parents, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces and some friends of family.

The Christmases of 2010 and 2011 though have really stuck with me. In both years we set a ceiling budget of $500 and both years we came under by at least $200 each Christmas. In 2010 we gave the excess funds to our church. In 2011 we gave the excess funds to Water for Waslala, a non-profit dedicated to ending the water crisis in Waslala, Nicaragua. In both years we had every person and every item crossed off on our lists and we still came under budget. And this year we have again set our budget ceiling at $500. So here’s a few tactics I use that I would like to share with you, to hopefully keep you on budget this year.

Gifts of Wisdom

I am a huge believer in passing along knowledge. And I am also an advocate for getting the best price possible. So a great go-to gift for me is used books found on Amazon. Throughout the year I gorge myself on non-fiction books pertaining to personal finance, estate planning and topics that encourage me to build my overall character. From the best of the best that I read throughout the year I single out a few people on my list and gift away accordingly. No I don’t give tattered books but I refuse to pay retail as well.

Personalized Gifts

We are big on gifts with a personal touch. Nothing says personalized better in my book than something home made. In the past we have given homemade Christmas cards, soap, jewelry, coasters and spice rubs. Making our own gifts has not only been cost effective but it has also provided an outlet for us to be creative.

Shop Thrift

We have also picked up a ton of great Christmas items, in excellent condition mind you, at rummage and garage sales. We have had to be a bit flexible with our list but when we have found quality items we match them up with the perfect people. Buying Christmas gifts at a fraction of retail cost truly makes me feel jolly.

Needless to say there are a plethora of options at your disposal to keep Christmas gifts from busting your budget. So get creative out there and I challenge you to avoid paying retail whenever and wherever possible.