TAMPA, Fla. — This year, the holidays may look different for families.
“It doesn’t feel like the holidays no more,” said Sara Roman.
The holidays will be different for Roman, who is a small business owner in Hillsborough County.
“I think everybody is already beyond stretched,” said Roman.
WATCH: Shopping experts encourage people on tight budgets to plan for holiday shopping
She, like many others in our community, has been living on a tight budget, which will impact her ability to shop for the holidays.
“We are struggling, moms, families with kids, it’s going to be a very thin, light Christmas,” said Roman.
It will be a light Christmas for a lot of people.
If you need to find deep discounts this week during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale period, to be able to afford gifts, there are things you can do before you start shopping to save money.
“Cyber week in general can be very overwhelming,” said Trae Bodge, Smart Shopping Expert for TrueTrae.com.
The first thing to do is to get organized.
“Make a list of your recipients and gift ideas for each, a budget for each,” said Bodge.
“You’d be surprised, people don’t have budgets. When the holiday comes, we just purchase, and that’s what we don’t want to do,” said Tasha Cohen-Glynn with Achieva Credit Union.
After you’ve set budgets for everyone on your list, research which items you’d like to buy for them, and see which retailer is offering the lowest price.
Next, search online for extra coupons and discount codes. One of the ways you can do that is by using a browser extension.
Another tip for you is to put the items you want to buy in your cart online now and leave it there for at least 24 hours.
The retailer will likely send an email with an extra discount code to encourage you to buy.
“When you don’t have a lot of money to spend, you need every little piece of discount you can get at any time,” said Cohen-Glynn.
Lastly, try to use cash or your debit card over credit if you can to avoid more debt going into the new year.
If you do need to use your credit card, check to see if you have unused rewards.
“Be smart about them... You’ve been probably gaining all these points all year and not even utilizing them,” said Cohen-Glynn.
If your budget is really tight, there’s nothing wrong with doing something more meaningful, versus spending lots of money.
“The holiday season is the time to spend with families. So instead of breaking the bank, trying to spend the most expensive gift, consider DIYs, experiences. You’d be so surprised how much a family member would just like to go somewhere with you,” said Cohen-Glynn.
That’s what Roman is going to do with her kids this year.
“The best gift is to be alive, healthy, and together… At the end of the day it’s the experience of just not all the time opening gifts but to stay together and have a good time,” said Roman.
Share Your Story with Larissa
Larissa Scott stays on top of everything education-related for Tampa Bay 28, but it’s not her only focus. From public health concerns to everyday expenses, Larissa is here for you. If you have a story you want to share, send her a message below.
.
Missing beehives returned to 84-year-old Florida beekeeper after story goes viral
Richard Marquette lost 20 beehives in July when someone mistakenly cleared his property, taking away his primary source of income from honey sales.
