Chatting to people about their holiday preparations can be interesting and I often get some really good ideas. Two people have mentioned how they don’t really like shopping and don’t consider themselves to be ‘shoppers’ but they both practice ‘strategic shopping’. I call it that because they take advantage of sales and fully stocked shelves to purchase things that aren’t typically on a holiday shopping list.

I think one reason is efficiency. They are out and about anyway and make the trip worthwhile by picking up things on other lists such as kid’s shoes and sporting equipment. Time spent now taking care of these errands saves their weekends after the season to do other things.

Buying things on Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales can be worthwhile if you know what an item is regularly priced at. Is it really a lower price or has the price been raised, lowered, raised, lowered a bit and it’s hard to know whether you’re really getting a deal?

Shopping on-line can save time as long as you don’t mind paying shipping costs and you are comfortable you will get the quality you expect. Some things are hard to buy on-line. I tend to buy a couple extra of children’s gifts so that I have extras on hand to wrap when the birthday party invitations roll in – it saves me a ton of time.

Do you practice ‘strategic shopping’?