Why Shopping in Your Home State Can Help You Save
Despite the digital age we live in, people are actually still buying presents in person. As of 2013, a Gallup poll found that 47 percent of shoppers still intend to do all of their shopping in brick and mortar stores. If you are among them and you live in one of the more expensive areas of the country but are actually from somewhere with a lower cost of living, it could be worth it to wait on your holiday shopping.
According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, if you've put down roots in one of these seven states, odds are good that buying your gifts back in your hometown will save you a pretty penny: Hawaii, the District of Columbia, New York, Alaska, New Jersey, California and Connecticut.
These states have the highest cost of living in the nation. Hitting a craft fair in Central Park is likely to yield considerably higher costs than one back home in Minneapolis. Simple math says that the New York crafter has to bring in more money than the Minnesotan to keep a roof over their head and food on the table.
But don't get mad about it, get smart! A quick assessment on the Internet will give you a heads up about whether it's smarter to buy your gifts where you live or where you're headed.
If you're headed out to one of these states, it makes a lot more sense to pick up your presents after the plane lands: Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska.
These seven states represent the lowest cost of living in the United States. If you are set on breaking in your shoes and buying gifts in person, the price difference between doing your shopping in a state like Nebraska could be worth dealing with the last minute hustle and bustle rather than throwing them in your luggage and taking them home with you.
Another thing to consider is if you live in or are headed to a state with no sales tax. This technique is a really quick way to reduce your Christmas budget. When every penny counts, it can really help your bottom line.
If you live on the border of one sales tax-free state or are headed there anyway, then you may as well wait to do your shopping there. (The exception is Alaska, because, as noted above, it's one of the most expensive states in America.) The states with no sales tax are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.
Of course, if you're truly looking for bargain prices while holiday shopping, it's time to give in to the magic of the Internet. Using the Internet, you can avoid sales tax by buying from companies based out of a state with no sales tax.
You can also save money by signing up with cash back rebates sites. Sites like eBates are extremely simple to use. You spend five minutes signing up initially and then just start each of your online shopping trips through their site. If you want to shop at Kohl's, you type in Kohl's in their search bar, click through to the Kohl's website and you're instantly saving whatever the cash back amount is for Kohl's. Mastering eBates is a piece of cake.
Want to save even more money? If you know you'll be doing a lot of holiday shopping at a specific store, for example if you have a daughter who loves Francesca's clothing or a son who wants every piece of sporting equipment at Dick's, and you already know about how much you're going to spend there, then you can hit up a discount gift card website like Raise.com and buy a card that is already 5 to 15 percent off. Then head over and use that card through eBates to save even more.
Whether you're planning to hoof it from store to store or do all of your holiday shopping from your couch, a little preplanning can always save you some dough. Just do a little advanced research on how your home state compares to your current residence, and shop accordingly.
Mel Bondar blogs at brokeGIRLrich, where she explores topics including how not to totally panic over adulthood, working in the arts and retirement strategies that don't involve living in a cardboard box under an overpass.
