Holiday Savings: Tips to stretch your dollar further this season

JACKSON, Tenn. — Holiday shopping is in full swing. Whether that be buying gifts for Christmas, buying decorations for around the house, or buying groceries for holiday meal classics, your wallet can certainly get hit hard if you are not careful.

“Thankfully, that does not have to break the bank,” said smart shopping expert Trae Bodge. “The first thing I would recommend, if you have not started already, is to create a budget that you can stick to. I find that it is easier to stay on budget when I’m shopping with retailers that prioritize affordability.”

Black Friday has always been a big deal. However, it has changed in the recent years. The days of people lining up outside of stores before midnight are basically behind us, as deals and savings can really be spread out across the whole holiday season.

“There are lots of sales going on all the time,” Bodge said. “I think, as a consumer, it’s a great way to kind of spread out your shopping so you don’t have this kind of hectic bottleneck right on Black Friday. For example, Target has sales rolling throughout the month.”

Gifts and decorations can certainly stack up the costs, but so can food. The meals we have during the holidays are some of the favorite parts for so many people. There are certainly some ways we can save here as well.

“Target has a great Thanksgiving meal that is only $20, which is $5 less than last year,” said Bodge. “It contains all the ingredients you need to make a fabulous meal for four. You may have heard that Target has been reducing prices on essential items all year long.”

Bodge also shared that making lists is very important as well. They can go right along with your budget, and a list can alleviate under-buying or over-buying.

Many stores also offer drive-in pickup, in-store pickup, and of course, shipping. This can help out a lot when we feel rushed to buy all of the items that we may need.

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