It’s that time of the year, and whether you are one to have been procrastinating or not, now is crunch time to finish (or start for that matter), Christmas shopping, with 6 days until the big day. The days of price matching are probably limited these days since you are lucky enough to even have the product in stock. While it would have been nice to save up all year, and not saying that budgets are sexy, but now it’s time to just get your shopping finished up and hopefully you can pay the bill in time of the due date without having to pay interest. That being said, using your credit card is still your best bet.
The Scammers Will be Out
It happens at the gas pump, if you leave your card out too long, or even take your wallet all together, and that’s on a given day, so you can believe that the thieves will be out now that everyone is out Christmas shopping. That makes it all more important to use your credit card so the chance that you do get hit, at least your bank account will not be cleaned out while you dispute the charges.
At Least Earn Cashback
Since you are swiping your card a bunch, you might as well earn rewards to get a little money back at the same time, instead of leave free money on the table by using your debit card. If you don’t have a rewards credit card currently now is the time to get one, and for those that do, you may be able to earn points to redeem for gift cards, accumulate airline miles, or good old cash that you will receive in the form of a check each year.
Take Advantage of Online Shopping
It’s amazing that anyone still goes out shopping, unless it’s just those that wait until the last minute, which I can’t say much because that is typically me, but not this year. I can proudly say that I stayed home and avoided traffic and lines in the comfort of my own home, while getting free shipping and collect boxes on my front porch, of course now I just need to start wrapping. With online shopping you can browse endless amounts of websites, ensuring you get the best deal out there, using your credit card from home, instead of driving all over town.
Start Budgeting for Next Year
If scrambling around at the last minute to start your Christmas shopping has taught you anything, it’s that you are racking up your credit card balance all at once, putting an incredible financial burden on yourself needing to be able to pay off your credit card statement when the new year starts, otherwise you will begin to carryover a balance and start paying interest, which depending on your card, could be upwards of 16%, so not a good way to start out 2018 already in debt. That should be the year you plan in advance and stay debt free!