Preparing for Christmas might be the last thing on your mind when you are relaxing by the pool in the summer sunshine. However, as the most wonderful time of the year is also the most expensive time of the year, you might find that spreading the cost over the course of the year helps to ease the strain on your purse strings. With many retailers hosting their summer sales, now is a great time to get ahead of the game and buy some Christmas presents. To give you some ideas, here are four Christmas gifts that you can buy ahead of time.
-
Chocolate gifts
Christmas isn’t Christmas without chocolate. As well as being a delicious treat to have with after dinner coffee, chocolate also makes an excellent gift choice – whether as a stocking filler, Secret Santa, or simply buying for a difficult family member. Most people love chocolate and will be more than grateful to receive your thoughtful gift. When considering the best chocolate gifts for Christmas, there are options available to suit any taste and dietary requirement, for instance, vegan chocolate and low sugar options. Build your own box of chocolates consisting of classic Christmas flavors like eggnog and candy cane.
-
Luxury toiletries
Luxury toiletries like hand cream, soap, and bubble bath are always popular gifts to give at Christmas. Most people love to relax after a long week at work with a pampering session but may not go out of their way to buy fancy toiletries for themselves, so receiving these as a gift is sure to bring a smile to most people’s faces. Look out for end of season summer sales at beauty stores like The Body Shop and take advantage of offers whenever you see them to stock up on gifts and keep the overall costs down.
-
Technology
Items of technology, such as smart phones, laptops, and gaming devices, are popular choices for Christmas presents, especially for teens. However, they are also usually very expensive. Buying technological gifts several months in advance gives you enough time to set up a payment plan and spread the cost over the year. This will help to lessen the financial strain around Christmas time when you are making additional expenses for the holiday season. However, make sure that you fully research any technological products before buying – you don’t want to buy a device only for the update to come along in a month or two.
-
Toys
Toy stores can become chaotic nightmares in the run up to Christmas. Save your purse and your sanity by buying toys in the months beforehand. Stores may not be as busy over summer, as families might be saving up for vacation, so this is a perfect time to go and browse the shelves for timeless toys like Lego sets and sports kits. Remember to save some of your budget for the Christmas season’s most sought-after toy when it launches.
