Holiday Shopping Tips: A Helpful Checklist

Before you start your holiday shopping, use the helpful checklist of holiday shopping tips.

Make a list of who you need to buy for. This is the very first step. You don't want to forget anyone, so do a little Santa song-and-dance: "Makin' a list, checkin' it twice." Include lines like "Grab bag gift for Scouts" and "Secret Santa present at work". You want to make sure that you've covered everyone.

Put an approximate dollar amount next to each line on your list. Sometimes this is easy, like if you and your sister have a $50 limit, but other times it can be hard to judge. Take some time to think about it. The last thing you want to do is go holiday shopping all willy-nilly and end up over-spending.

Figure out your Christmas shopping budget. No whining, self-pity, or false hopes. For real, how much can you spend? What's the exact dollar amount?

Make sure your budget and your expenditures jive. Add up all the dollar amounts that you plan to spend on everyone. How does that compare with your Christmas budget? If your planned expenses are more than you can reasonably afford, go back to you list and re-evaluate.

Know how you'll pay for these presents. Hopefully, you can just use the cash in your Christmas Club account. If that's the case, make sure you bring your debit card and identification with you when you shop. If you're charging, check to see if your rates have increased since the recession and if your payment terms have changed. Also, be realistic about how long it will take you to bring that credit card to a zero balance. Being financially irresponsible will bring heartache in the long-run.

Now that you've budgeted your money, you need to budget your time. When can you shop? While the kids are in school? When the kids are in bed? When they're at Grandma's? It's important to plan this. If you need to hire a babysitter, factor that into your budget holiday shopping budget.

Start early. This is literal, like early in the morning on Black Friday or for "door-buster" or "early bird" specials. Is it really worth it? Last year I went to the mall at 7 am and was home before 8 am. I had saved $120 by going at that time. Since I don't make anywhere near 120 bucks an hour, I'd say it's worth it!

Shop the sales. Everyone who hasn't been in a coma in the last two years knows that retailers are offering discounts and incentives on just about everything. Don't pay full price for anything. Also, take advantage of coupons.

Comparison shop. Just because an item is splattered on the front page of a circular doesn't mean it's a good deal. Check prices on the same item at other retailers.

Keep watching the sales, even when you're done shopping . If you bought something that's advertised for less after you bought it, bring it back. Most retailers will refund the difference to you, even if the ad is from a different store. If you used a credit or debit card, you can do make your 'exchange' over the phone.

Save your receipts. The 30 day rule doesn't hold true for Christmas presents. (I know this because I usually shop in November.) If you don't have the receipt, your refund will be the lowest price the item was ever sold for, in other words, the after-Christmas sale price minus the coupon discount.

Did you factor gift wrap into your time and money budget? It sounds crazy, but sometimes an extra trip to the store and an extra $20 out of your pocket is enough to make you want to get in the car and never come home. Plan ahead. Your family needs you.

Use the tips on this holiday shopping checklist to make your holiday shopping go smoothly this year!