Last Minute Shopping?

I'm not sure about getting better deals, but one thing's for sure; you almost always find stores have run out of things you need. I personally prefer to go outside of these times. The promotions are just not worth it, it's too much hassle.

 

I would never, ever leave my shopping that late, because I would worry that I wouldn't be able to get everything that I wanted for my family and friends, and that would ruin the holiday for me really. I always make sure that I make the most of the deals during the course of the whole year, and that way, whenever I need a gift for somebody, there is always something that that I have stocked up that I am able to give to them. It is much better than trying to rush through and get everything done at the same time, anyway!

 

I always start my shopping Christmas early in the year but I am also the person who is in the stores on Christmas Eve buying those last minute gifts. I find that you do get some great buys just before the holidays and you save a lot of money. The only thing is that waiting that long to buy things you are not always guaranteed to find what you are looking for. So it can work both ways if you want to wait and take the chance of getting a great deal. As for other holidays I always just shop a few days before to get what I need for the holidays.

 

I can't stand shopping in the first place, so I definitely wouldn't leave things to the last minute. I can't see how you can get special deals when everyone is trying to get that last minute item. I think that it would have to be the opposite - keen retailers knocking up the price a bit as they know that shoppers will be desperate to get certain things before closing time.

 

I always shop ahead of time. I do enjoy the crazy rush sometimes, or at least I did before things got so crazy, with brawls, shootings and stabbings, so I tend to stay home and avoid Black Friday type situations. If I were buying for others, I would shop ahead of time, to ensure that I would get what I wanted, and in the best shape.

Nowadays, it seems if you want until the end of the season, items are picked over. I especially wouldn't want to buy clothing then, because I've seen pieces with holes in them, torn, with pulls in sweaters, and ones that have apparently fallen on the floor and been trampled, and those aren't the types of items I want to give to loved ones.

I do think it's possible to get some great deals on Black Friday and other such days/sales, but if I were going to do that, I'd go to less crowded venues, such as in towns/cities with lower populations, and that weren't known for trouble. I'm happy most times to shop from home, in my PJs, with a nice cup of coffee or tea, watching the news and shaking my head at the people braving the crowds.

 

I usually avoid last-minute shopping like the plague because it’s just too stressful. That said, I’ve gone shopping the day after holidays and been able to score some pretty sweet deals. And it’s probably equally stressful because everyone has the same idea! Sometimes I’m not too logical at all, I suppose. Though to be fair, I had planned some of my purchases ahead of time so that reduced the tension quite a bit. That seems less likely with last-minute shopping.

 

The only real way to find out if you're actually getting a deal on what you want to buy is if you follow the price on the item you want. It's the only way because as long as you go to the store with the lowest price that you know of, you'll be saving then if you bought it blindly. It really comes down to researching and following the items because you can't tell if it's a discount if you don't even know the normal sale price of that item in the first place.

I don't mind crowds but the only problem is that stores start running out of stock fast for instance on Black Friday because there's just a ridiculous amount of people buying high demand items that are on sale. But it really depends because no store is the same. Some stores have legit deals and some actually don't. Some stores might have better deals before, some stores after. It's the holidays and not every store is gonna come together and say "we should all have sales on this date." Doesn't work like that. The only way to answer your question is to follow deals online and research the price of your items. Online shopping is a great way if you want to avoid crowds and the sales are the same as in the store (some stores actually offer it cheaper if you purchase online).

But my recommendation is don't look at it from whether I should shop early or late because that doesn't matter... I just go when there's a sale because that's all that important to me. I'm never in a hurry to must have any item so if it's out of stock then I'll order it online.

 

Getting the best deal on the very last days before Christmas day or on this day is really possible but a double-edged sword because it depends on your mood, patience and tolerance to the crowds.

If you are tired, anxious to get out of the store, or simply feeling frantic with all the hustle and bustle, you might not do the right choices, or buy merchandise that is deteriorated, about to expire or something, making necessary a second visit if a return is needed.

Personally I only buy on Christmas day if I have forgotten something that I have to get forcibly before dinner, but then I try to go as soon as the store is opening. Usually I wait for the seasonal deals that come 2-4 days before Christmas day and, when I feel in the mood to enjoy the crowd, I may go to the stores for no reason at all.

Yeah, crowd might be enjoyable sometimes, at least for me when it recalls me the magic of Christmas that I used to feel when being a child my mother used to take me through a cheerful crowd.

 

I avoid last minute shopping and prefer to do a lot of my Christmas shopping online. What better than to have gifts delivered right to your door and you don't have the hassle of finding parking and fighting crowds. What I will sometimes do to find a bargain is go out on Boxing Day and look for deals. With that being said most of the same deals are available online or you can find a good deal online and have smaller store price match. This way you can avoid large crowds and busy mall parking lots. I've had good success having a small electronics store price match for a 60" TV.