REGINA – The weather outside is frightful and depending on your thoughts about Christmas shopping, the malls can be less than delightful.
“I don’t enjoy it,” said Lorraine Hardwick. “It’s really hard finding the right gift.”
Keith Waker takes a different approach. “Once you get old, it’s not stressful anymore,” he said with a laugh.
According to an Insightrix poll, 93 per cent of Saskatchewan residents are buying gifts this year. Of them, nearly half plan to spend more than $500.
A lot of people planned ahead, according to Insightrix Research. Forty-two per cent of holiday shoppers planned to get it all done before Dec. 15. But for the ones who didn’t, the poll validates a stereotype: men are more likely to leave it until the last minute.
“There’s always something else on the plate,” one man suggested. Women are busy too though, so why can’t men keep up? “They’re (better) multitaskers.”
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Don’t wait for Dec. 23
The non-profit Consolidated Credit Counseling Services of Canada says it’s a bad idea to put off Christmas shopping; the group is running a lengthy campaign to prevent Canadians from waiting for December 23 – the busiest shopping day of the year, when it seems our brains aren’t in control of our wallets.
“So we’re buying things we maybe didn’t plan for, maybe weren’t part of our budget, might not even be a very good gift,” said Consolidated’s Jacob MacDonald. “At that point, we’re desperate and just trying to get things done.
Make a list, check it twice
MacDonald says you should start with a smaller budget and only spend what you think you can pay off within a couple of months.
“You don’t want to be paying for Christmas 2015 when Christmas 2016 rolls around,” he said.
“This might be more Scrooge-esque than Santa-esque, but it might be worth jotting down dollar amounts next to the names on your list, just so you have it organized and know it fits within your budget.”
Instead of breaking the bank, the group refers to the old cliche: it’s always the thought that counts.
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