Why You Should Shop Like A Pro And Avoid Debt With Unique Christmas Gifts

With a new government  now in power we have all been made aware of some radical financial belt tightening that is in store for us all. With this in mind we are creating a very special series of regular articles on gifts that would make ideal and affordable unique Christmas gifts. Why, you may ask? Because with the current economic climate we don’t want our customers to find they have heavy credit card bills come January. Putting on my serious financial geek hat; there are a few things that we as ethical retailers should think about, and one is the way in which we want our customers to spend their money with us. I for one would be very upset if I had known that one of our customers at  Boutique To You were so tempted by our products that they actually put themselves in debt to pay for it. We sell affordable and beautiful gifts and we spend a lot of time sourcing affordable gifts for the very reason that they are ‘affordable’ !

It’s a simple but true statement “don’t spend what you haven’t got”. With house prices at an all time low, fixed mortgages coming to an end, 20% deposits required to get a new mortgage and the new VAT rate of 20% coming in, it could feel like your wallet is being attacked from all angles. We say “NO” we will not be defeated or feel like we can’t enjoy life to the full or feel like we have to become penny pinching misers…No, No, No. However there is a very simple way to cut back on your spending and still enjoy big occasions such as Christmas. All without the need to apologise for being skint this year. You could even save money to pay off your mortgage or save  for whatever reason you need your money to work harder for you.

The answer is a big fat boring ‘moderation’ cut back on things like the skinny latte’s from Costa, maybe put off buying a new Dyson if the old one really is not that bad…don’t be seduced by yet another pair of shoes when you already have at least 20 pairs that you have never worn. Instead be thinking of others all throughout the year, not just Christmas. Always be on the lookout for something one of your family members might like. Instead of saying “oh xxx would really like that” – if it is good value for money and glorious in its loveliness, buy it for them if you can afford it that month. Put it in the wardrobe and by the time December comes round you should have most of your presents sorted, leaving you not only ready to enjoy the season but there will be no nasty surprises come January. Always a much better start to any new year!

A great gift giver not only gives wonderful gifts, they enjoy giving them, too. If you spread the payments over the year you might even have enough money left over at Christmas to treat yourself to some gifts, too! Plus, why rush round buying things in a mad dash, get organised this year, make people happy and don’t worry about the cost. Grab yourself some bargains all year round….

Then, if you are in a more cash rich position in January you can take advantage of the  sales to buy Christmas presents for next year, too. I used to think the people who did this were mad, now I think they are financial wizards!