Prime Rate Credit

Yep, I can never believe when it is barely the end of September, and I’m already seeing the Christmas bags at fast food restaurants, the ads to online shopping deals on Black Friday (the playfully named day after Thanksgiving, which is the most notorious holiday shopping day according to mythology, but has actually been proven to be only one of the busiest shopping days, including online).

Is it really time for this already? Apparently so! I guess we’re all ready to get started extra early this year, huh? What’s that, you’re not ready yet? Well I for one know I’m not, as the weather has barely broken below the 80’s lately here in Ohio, and the mood is far from a holiday one since it’s more like a Bahamas vacation type of weather force.

Some of the tips we have to keep in mind as we begin to shop this holiday season, whether that season starts early or late for you, are that we must keep our credit card numbers safe and hidden at all times. It might be a good idea to scratch out the last or first digits of your credit card number when signing credit card receipts, just to be sure in case the number falls into the wrong hands, and can be used to online shopping at your expense failry easily.

Also, be aware that you should stick to a budget after you’ve made lists of what everyone wants who you are buying for. A lot of families now are getting tired of paying thousands of dollars or even hundreds for multiple family members, so many people, like my family, are choosing to instead do a secret santa, which cuts down on the number of gifts being given and the amount of money that everyone is spending on everyone else. Makes sense right? It did for us, since we cut everyone’s Christmas expenditures by more than 4 times or more.

Look for sales in the paper. Christmas time is one of the absolute best times to get some of the greatest deals you will find of the year, especially if you’re looking for some kind of electronics. Think of the $300 Wal Mart laptop sale that infamously was sold out in minutes. This is the only time of the year where you’ll find retailers fighting tooth and nail for your business through price wars, so take advantage! And keep only one of those credit cards on you, to avoid the temptation of overspending!