Holiday shopping is something many Americans have to deal with every year. They are looking for gifts for family and friends and coworkers and lots of money is spent. Some people are spending more than they have which has become a big problem for those people.

Americans are spending lots of money each year on holiday gifts. Many people have problems with overspending. In this article from CNBC, it talks about ways to avoid that. Samantha K. Kumar and a professor of marketing at the University of Wisconsin state the best way to avoid overspending is to create a budget. They also said to try using cash instead of credit cards so when you run out of cash you have to stop. They also brought out the idea of “It’s the thought that counts.” Kumar brought out an example where he said “A flower conveys love as efficiently as a jewel does.” This is something that many can think about when shopping; ways to get a thoughtful gift while not spending a lot of money.

This piece from USA TODAY talks about how shoppers should try and use a debit card instead of credit so they are spending money they actually have and so they can’t go over budget. Using credit cards can cause debt for many, last year over one third of Americans got in debt from holiday shopping averaging around $1,250. Making a budget and using a debit card can help to prevent this.  

Provided here from Distractify has many different tips for saving money, time and energy for holiday shopping. One tip is to make a budget so you know not to overspend and make a list of what you’re buying to save time. Another tip is to buy more than one gift to send to anyone on your list to save time and energy. Another tip is to use credit cards that give you cash back. A card that is suggested is the American Express Blue Cash Everyday Card. “The card gives customers 3 percent cash back on purchases made at U.S. online retailers, supermarkets, and gas stations.” Something that can save many people some money.

This article presented from KGW talks about tips to save money and not overspend as well as talks about holiday shopping for next year. Some tips from this are creating a budget, Limiting the number of people you buy gifts for, and try to look for sales as you shop. Another tip is to just send a card instead of a gift and to start planning for next year. If you open a separate account and start saving money there for the next holiday shopping season.

In this article from WLOX it mentions the holiday traffic and shopping local stores are expecting to see. Panoply co-owner Krista Markham said “I would say that for us, we’ve seen an increase in traffic,” She said she thinks her stores have what people want and need. Kristina said “we didn’t know what to expect,” she meant this with what the recent years have been like if people were going to be shopping in person or more online. Many cities have said there have been more local shopping this year from many initiatives these stores are putting out.

If you are trying to save time, money and energy this holiday season, then these articles will offer help in a variety of different ways.

Photo from USA Today.