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Is It Too Late To Start Christmas Shopping?

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Many people start their Christmas shopping at some point in November, allowing them to take advantage of sales that are ramping up and events like Black Friday. However, if you aren’t able to dedicate cash to Christmas shopping before Black Friday passes, you may start wondering, “Is it too late to start Christmas shopping?” If you’re trying to answer that question, here’s what you need to know.

Is It Too Late?

Technically, it’s never too late to start Christmas shopping. While events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are usually when people think they’ll find the best bargains, holiday sales continue all through December. As a result, you can still get amazing prices on fantastic gifts all the way through Christmas Eve, so you have plenty of time to score some deals.

In fact, some sale prices may even beat Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts. Retailers know that many people tackle a lot of Christmas shopping during those events, so they might not worry about getting customers’ attention. However, competition for any remaining shopping dollars gets fiercer as the holiday gets closer, so you may find even better prices on items like toys, electronics, and more.

 What’s Late For Your Christmas Shopping?

Generally, you can Christmas shop as late as Christmas Eve at many stores if you’re shopping in person. While the product selection could be limited in some cases, last-minute shopping isn’t unusual, so you’ll likely find some excellent gifts up until the stores close.

The situation is a bit different if you are planning to shop online. With this, the selection isn’t the primary concern. Instead, it’s the time required for shipping.

Every major shipper – including USPS, FedEx, and UPS – as well as direct shipping services through Amazon, won’t guarantee Christmas delivery after a particular date. For example, the cutoff date for Priority Mail at USPS is December 19, 2022. For FedEx Ground, it’s December 14, 2022.

Amazon cutoffs for guaranteed Christmas delivery can vary depending on your location. For items with same-day service, you could potentially shop on December 24, 2022, and get your purchase on time. If one-day shipping is available, then December 23, 2022, is usually the last day, while two-day shipping means wrapping up by December 22, 2022. Thankfully, Amazon shows delivery date estimates before you check out, allowing you to adjust what you buy if an item would miss the deadline.

Sooner Rather Than Later

Depending on the shipping service involved, you may need to wrap up your Christmas shopping sooner rather than later. Check out the websites for the retailers you’re considering using as a starting point. In some cases, the retailer will list purchase deadlines for online orders, allowing them to factor in processing time to ensure delivery before the holiday. If not, see what shipper they use and review the order processing times to see when you need to make a purchase to ensure it gets to you before Christmas.

When do you usually start your Christmas shopping? Do you wish you could start earlier, or do you think your timing works? Do you have any tips for those who are just starting their Christmas shopping now? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Dress For Success Without Breaking the Bank

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What type of job do you have? Are you trying to climb the ladder in Corporate America, but don’t have the money to drive around in flashy cars and brand new designer clothing? Well, let me tell you a secret. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to fit into the corporate world. Sure, it helps to look the part, but rather than rack up your credit cards with mountains of debt, it’s much wiser to pay for your clothing with cash.




“But clothes are expensive!” you might be thinking, “…and to get quality pieces, you’ve got to pay top dollar.” I’ve heard these complaints many times before, and while they sound relevant, they are absolute myths. First of all, sure, clothes can be expensive if you buy them from the retail store when they’re not on sale, but this is a complete waste of money. And, if you think that spending more money means that you’re getting higher quality goods, you’re absolutely wrong there too. Much of the time, you’re just paying for the designer name, not the quality of the clothes.

Avoid paying retail prices. Let’s explore where you can get high-quality clothes for less than half the cost of retail.

Second Hand Stores

Many people stick their nose up at the second hand stores, but hear me out on this one. Don’t head down to your local slummy second hand store because they’re going to have slummy looking clothes. Instead, drive yourself to the nearest ritzy town and walk into their “gently used” stores. You’ll quickly notice that the clothing there is far different than from the bad part of town, and it’s severely cheaper than at the retail store!

Platos Closet

This store sells gently used clothing as well, but you know that it’s in good shape and that it’s the latest fashions. They often have more trendy items, which could only be used for “weekend wear”, but the men might be able to find a few dress shirts, slacks, or dress shoes as well. For the ladies, dress shoes can easily be found here, and at a far reduced cost from retail. Other items that can be found are skirts, dresses, and plenty of accessories.

Search Online

There are many big players coming onto the online scene these days, and since they don’t have the liability of a huge retail store on their books, they can charge far less for their clothing than the other guys. For big events, it might make sense to rent clothing. My daughter is headed to the prom in a dress from RentTheRunway.com. On top of this, you could check out RetailMeNot.com and find a promo code to reduce your overall bill even more!

The Key to Dress For Success

These three areas are a great place to search for some new clothes, but be smart with your purchases For women, when you purchase a new wardrobe, don’t buy complete outfits that can only be worn together. Buy versatile pieces that can be interchanged with one another. When you buy a few neutral colored skirts, a few solid colored blouses and a couple of decorative scarfs, you end up with not just two outfits, but 10+ outfits that can be worn all different ways! While men generally don’t buy matching sets, the same is still true: focus on clothing that can easily be worn in multiple combinations and you’ll be able to lower your cost while still looking great.

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