Christmas is fast approaching. Though it appears on the horizon on the same date every year, far too many of us leave things until the last minute, which can cause unnecessary anxiety and stress.
On top of this, some may still feel a little hesitant about conducting their Christmas shopping, from getting presents to ordering food for Christmas dinner, online. With this in mind, we are here to help you with any potential pitfalls this festive season.
Staying Safe Online
Do Your Research
If you are visiting sites online that are not ones you usually visit, then you should do the relevant research before you complete any purchases. Even though a site may look legit, you might find out to your cost that they are indeed fraudulent or just not great in terms of the prices they charge or perhaps their delivery schedules.
This is when you need to do some research to make sure your online shopping experience is as safe and reliable as possible. While you can try to conduct this research yourself, you might be better off visiting specific comparison sites; instead, we have found that Top 10 best covers your needs in many niches. They offer genuine reviews that dive deep into every facet of many markets and, in doing so, save you the trouble of doing so.
Shop Securely
Only shop on sites that are secure. You can usually spot these as those that have a padlock sign shown on your address bar. Avoid sites with an HTTP prefix and stick with those with HTTPS.
Make Sure Your Anti Virus Software is Up to Date
Too many of us think we have anti-virus software running on our desktops and mobile devices, but it turns out we don’t because it expired months ago, and we kept ignoring the relevant prompts.
If you have absolutely no security features stopping scammers from stealing your essential details, then you are asking for trouble.
Never Click on Unsolicited Links
We often receive SMS messages and emails that we never asked for, which should be avoided like the plague. Don’t click on the links that are added to such messages, no matter how great the apparent deals they offer may appear.
Scammers are getting better and better at fooling the public; where sometimes you might receive an email or message from what looks like a reputable source, perhaps an online store we often visit; always be wary of reacting to these, and often the best course of action is to ignore pretty much all of these.
Don’t Keep Using the Same Passwords
We often get lazy and use the same password on multiple accounts, which is just making it easier for scammers. Try to set up new passwords periodically and mix things up, and don’t make your password something obvious, like your date of birth.
You can utilize a password manager if you find it hard to remember all your different passwords, as this adds another layer of security that will give you peace of mind.
Getting Your Shopping Done On Time
Plan Ahead
Set a reminder if you need to, start using a spreadsheet to plan your purchases, and be realistic with your expectations, but whatever you do, don’t leave things until the last minute.
Start maybe a month ahead of the 25th of December, and that way, you are well ahead of the curve and won’t be caught out having to make Christmas Eve purchases that are both costly and almost certainly dictated by what’s still available in the shops (both on and offline).
A spreadsheet where you compartmentalize both gift shopping and planning for what is needed at home is a handy way to make sure there are no last-minute surprises. It may seem like a bit too much hard work, but you will be pleasantly surprised at how much easier it will make your life.
Budget Accordingly
Every year we end up spending more and more on Christmas, be that on shopping for presents or for the festive period as a whole (maybe you are hosting the family this year), and often this time of year can make people very anxious about their bank balances.
We often spend beyond our means, which is usually for well-intentioned reasons, like trying to keep everyone happy. However, it’s really important you don’t overstretch yourself; otherwise, this time of year can quickly start to be associated with financial issues.
An excellent way to cover these mounting costs is to start putting aside money specifically to help manage the likely bump in spending. Perhaps set aside an amount each week ahead of the Christmas period so that way you don’t feel the hit on your accounts quite so dramatically.
Manage Expectations
Obviously, you want Christmas to be magical, especially if you have a young family, but that doesn’t have to mean spending excessively. It may be worthwhile managing expectations, especially with regard to your children. Perhaps they’ve made a list of numerous gifts, and it’s best to discuss this with them ahead of the big day; that way, they are not quite so disappointed if a specific present isn’t under the tree.
You can look to compromise with them by telling them they’ll get certain gifts on their birthday. You’d be surprised how amenable children can be when you explain the situation, and it’s far better than having them find out the hard way when they unwrap a gift to find something other than what they requested.
Christmas Is Not Just About Spending Money
It should go without saying, but we do sometimes forget what Christmas is all about, and it’s more about spending time with your loved ones and not about spending money.
There is always the temptation to pull out all the stops and really splash the cash over the holiday period, but in reality, this isn’t what makes the season special, and often, the simplest and most understated aspects of the festive period are those that live long in the memory and not that overpriced gift or an overly large Christmas tree that took hours to get into the house and won’t stop shedding needles all over the place.
