Practically all stores will be offering one sales promo or the other starting from Black Friday till the end of the year or perhaps early January. Here are some things to take into consideration before hitting the stores.

Retailers offer these promos during this season because this, traditionally, is a gift giving period and unlike any other period consumers will be in shopping mode and any store not offering some incentive or the other will lose out.

Recognizing this, retailers use this opportunity to do one or a combination of the things listed below:

• To entice prospective consumers.
• To reward existing customers.
• To clear out old or slow-moving stock.

So, what is in it for you the consumer? Obviously, there is the bargain of getting things cheaper. This allows you buy more, stretching your hard-earned money in meeting your gift obligations

Important though is the need to have a budget and not allow yourself to be enticed into spending yourself into a hole.

The “BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE” or “UP TO 75% OFF SELECTED ITEMS” may be screaming at you and you start asking yourself, why should I buy one item for $100 when I can spend $150 and buy two items instead?

If you have a list of people you want to get gifts for, this question is valid and the Promo is definitely a good one for you unless of course you are able to find an even better one.

However, if all you have is a budget of $100 and you are in the market for personal consumption, yes, you might be getting a better deal by buying two instead of one, but if your purchase will leave you in the red… you must be disciplined enough to turn your back on these offers and buy what you need.

There is no point buying two pairs of shoes just because you are getting a deal, when what you really can afford is just one pair, then down the line, you are unable to meet your other financial obligation.

So, yes hunt for the best possible bargains, but do so with a budget and be disciplined enough to stay within that budget.

This probably isn’t what you expect to hear from a retailer, but its part of our commitment to serving you better.

SEASONS GREETINGS