Festive seasons are those times of the year when every locality, every street and every house is buzzing. And why not? Festivals mean holidays. Vacations. Quality time with your loved ones. And what not. In India, Diwali is an Important Festival for Hindus and Sikhs, so Diwali celebration is a festival of FUn and joY.
But with all the fun, joy and happiness, comes a long list of shopping wherein without worrying about the money people tend to buy almost the whole market to decorate their houses and gift others. And Diwali in India is one of the prime examples for that. During these times, everything seems to be limitless – the excitement levels as well as the shopping bills.
We agree that during such an auspicious occasion, you don’t actually want to impose any brakes when it comes to making your near and dear ones happy. But this is the exact scenario where even overspending comes into the picture. And no matter how much you rue it later, it’s a story of every festive season.
One good reason for this is that many people don’t set budgets for shopping and those who do, rarely follow it, leading to long shopping bills. But don’t you worry. We have got you covered with some clever tips to prevent you from spending a bomb, during this festive season.
So, first have a look here and then go shopping!!
Table of Content
1. Set A Budget That Is Easy To Follow on Diwali Shopping
Yes, we know that easy and budget don’t go too well together. But we are sure that you can do this with a little bit of patience and a lot of willpower. This time, plan a budget that you can religiously follow by including money for all Diwali gifts that you might need for the festival and try avoiding the last-minute shopping. Also, we’re not telling you to ignore anything. Just do things on a slightly reduced budget and allocate slightly less funds for everything on your list.
Divide your budget for gift items for everyone, well in advance. Also, by the end, if your budget doesn’t look pocket-friendly, make the required changes before-hand so as to avoid last minute changes.
2. Abandon Your Credit And Debit card
Over time, these six square inch plastic cards have become a favourite among shopaholics. Loved for their spend now and pay later approach, they are dangerous for your pockets for the same reason. Studies have shown that people who carry credit cards for shopping tend to overspend than those who prefer cash. The problem that occurs while using credit cards is while spending you don’t realise the total shopping amount and the realisation happens only once the bill comes.
So, instead of getting hurt later, shift from using a card to using cash because when you’ll see the money going from your wallets (not the digital wallets) it will pinch your conscience and your hand will automatically drop the unnecessary item. So, ditch the credit cards this festive season to buy Diwali gifts for family and shop by spending cash.
3. Don’t Fall For Retailers Sales Strategies
With the arrival of the festive season comes a flood of sales and discounts on gift items, both by online players and in the shops, attracting dozens of people to become part of the ongoing shopping frenzy. Recent surveys have suggested that sales increase manifolds for shops that give discounts, during festive seasons. And why not? After all it’s their job to attract customers to increase their sales, no matter how they do it. But at the same time, it’s our job to look at our wallets first and then spend accordingly.
Even with religiously made budgets, all of us tend to over shop, falling prey to attractive schemes and discounts that the companies and shops offer. So, the next time you visit any shop or a mall with a discount/sale board, understand that it’s all a trap for you to overspend your limit. Remember the budget you made with your heart and soul, and don’t let any sale ads deviate you from your saving goals.
4. Shop Neither In Pressure Nor In Stress
Often overspending at a gift store is a result of peer pressure. More so during festive seasons as you want to fulfill all the wishes and match the gifting prowess of your friends and colleagues. Becoming a prey to peer pressure often leads to buying unnecessary stuff and ignoring the required stuff which ultimately does nothing but adds on unneeded pressure on your wallets.
Hence, a word of caution – Don’t follow whatever your loved ones purchase, blindly. Shopping in a distressed mood also leads to over-shopping (it’s funny but is true). The reason is when stressed, you won’t be thinking straight and will buy items which you’re sure to later regret. So, when you can prevent the unnecessary expense then why not save on those precious pennies.
5. Keep Track of Your Bills
Even creating budgets, in the beginning, doesn’t ensure overspending free festivals. It takes a lot more effort for achieving this goal. And one of the best ways to do this is by keeping a daily track record of items purchased (it doesn’t require any expensive software or resources so that won’t be a problem at all).
Writing down the daily expenses will not only let you know the items that you can cross off in your shopping list but will also prevent you from crossing the boundaries of your budget which you created in the beginning. Yeah, a bit tedious but this simple method can help you save a lot.
Now that you know all of these amazing hacks to have the best Diwali, even without spending a bomb, only implementing these in your shopping habits remains. This festive season make it a point to be smart regarding your expenditures and celebrate pocket-friendly festivals!
