New Year’s shopping: 7 tips to do everything and not spend more than you need

Some of us suffer from «holiday» procrastination — putting off buying gifts until the last day, and then rushing around malls, grabbing everything in a row, if only it’s inexpensive. Others succumb to the Black Friday mood, run into every store where discounts are drawn on the window, and end up spending all the money without calculating the budget.

It does not matter how you usually approach the choice of gifts for loved ones and colleagues. You still have enough time to take holiday shopping seriously, get ready and celebrate the New Year fully armed.

Here are 7 tips to help you save on gifts and get everything done.

1. Make a list

Before you go shopping, write down exactly what you want to buy. Making a list will help you analyze each gift, figure out how much you plan to spend on each relative, friend or colleague.

You will organize the information, see the real «scale of the tragedy», calculate the time required to purchase all the items from the list. And in the process of shopping, you can cross out what you have already bought.

2. Remember what you are shopping for

If you’re about to buy something that’s too expensive, stop and think: Did the person you’re giving it to want you to spend that much on it? Most likely no. So just turn around and move on to pick up something more accessible.

In the end, always keep in mind what exactly you are buying gifts for. Attention is important, and this is not just a well-worn stamp. Sometimes it’s nicer to get a penny figurine in your collection than an expensive purse. If the recipient collects a collection of figurines in the form of owls, he will definitely like the first option more.

3. Give money

Maybe some of your friends and family want to receive a certain amount instead of a gift. Especially if the person you love lives far away and you won’t be able to visit him on holidays. So you will reduce the time for shopping, save your nerves and do not get tired physically.

However, transfers between banks can be a problem as they charge fees. Now, thanks to the Fast Payment System (FPS), you can transfer up to 100 thousand rubles a month without commission to the accounts of almost any bank. Commission for amounts from 100 thousand — no more than 0,5% of the transfer amount, but no more than 1,5 thousand rubles per transfer. About 200 have already been connected to the SBP of banks. Among them are the largest.

The new system has a few more advantages: money is transferred instantly, no need to enter details — just the recipient’s phone number. In addition, all transfers are securely protected.

Connecting to SBP is easy. The service is already integrated into existing mobile applications of participating banks. You need to go to your profile, find the «Settings» section. It should contain a subsection «Agreements» or «Contacts and transfers». There you need to check the box next to the inscription «Quick payment system». Read more on link.

It’s also easy to translate. Just 5 steps — and the operation is done. Open the bank application and select the transfer function via SBP. Specify the recipient’s number or yours if you are transferring funds between your accounts. Select the bank to which you want to transfer money. Enter the transfer amount. Check the information and confirm the transfer.

4. Transfer money between your accounts in different banks using SBP

Transfer funds between your accounts to save on cashback. If you order gifts on the Internet, find a bank that offers a good cashback from them.

Shops, restaurants, sports clubs cooperate with different banks. When buying electronic equipment as a gift, you use one card, when buying a book, you get another one. With SBP, it is enough that one of the accounts has funds. You can transfer the required amount from it to your accounts of different banks, so they will not be empty and you can use cards from different banks, depending on where the conditions for a particular purchase are more favorable. Moreover, transfers up to 100 thousand rubles per month are commission-free.

5. Limit shopping time

Decide how much time you are going to spend shopping. And be sure to leave the store as soon as the allotted limit has expired. Remember: the longer you stay at the mall, the more money you risk spending.

6. Ask yourself the right questions

Take a break before buying anything. It will allow you to create some space between the impulse and the purchase itself. Step away from the shelf, exit the store, sit down on a bench and ask yourself 6 questions:

• Why did I come to the store?
• What do I feel now?
• Is this thing really needed by the person to whom I choose a gift?
• Maybe come back for her tomorrow?
• Do I need money?
• How am I going to pay?

Think about it: perhaps in order to buy gifts in a more profitable way for yourself, you need to transfer money from your account in one bank to another? Or do you have to borrow cash from a friend, but you can instantly transfer money to her using the SBP?

7.Buy online

Many people now shop online. If you do the same, keep a gift list in front of you. Write down all the sites you have visited or plan to visit. This is your virtual card. On it you can mark the prices for the same product in each of the online stores. Once you decide where to buy, pause and ask yourself the same questions.

Happy shopping and happy holidays!