BEAUMONT, Texas — The countdown to Christmas is underway. Financial experts believe now is the time for shoppers to start buying gifts and are sharing tips on how to avoid holiday debt while getting presents for loved ones.
“It's taken a little restraint to make sure we don't end up in a bad spot,” Buffy Knight, Southeast Texas shopper, said.
Knight feels that shopping during the 2022 season has been a lot different than in previous years.
"When you look at our budget of what we can typically budget for each child or each person, you aren't able to get as much as you'd be able to get in the past for that same amount of money,” Knight said.
Knight and money other shoppers are searching for the best deals in hopes of saving money.
Kelly Davis is the vice president of lending at Common Cents Credit Union. She feels higher prices, a changing economy and the temptation to spend more can take hurt shoppers' wallets.
“Shop the deals to keep track of it, the budget, along with the list of everybody on your Christmas list, but also specifically what you want to buy them so that you have time to shop for the deals," Davis said. "If you wait until December 20, you're buying whatever is available and a lot of times its high dollar items.”
Another way Davis believes shoppers can save money is by avoiding overspending and by knowing the risks of signing up for store credit cards.
“Look out for those things,” Davis said. “Ask those questions about what the interest rate or how long is the interest is free"
Holiday shopping has not been easy for many shoppers including Knight. She's making the financial adjustments to not be in debt going into the new year.
“I think you have to do a lot of online shopping, kind of knowing what's out there," Knight said. "That's what I'm doing today is going around trying to price things and see, 'Okay, where can I find the best deal or what would maybe be the best gift for each person and shop with the list.'"
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