How to get a frugal head start on holiday shopping

The beginning of the fall might feel a bit early to start planning your holiday shopping lists, but if you begin now, you’ll be able to coast through the season with grace and ease. The first step is to start generating your master lists. Most of us cringe when we see an Excel spreadsheet at the office, but they really come in handy for planning your holiday gift list.

Create one with the following columns and your holiday shopping will never be the same again:

Column 1: Recipients Column 2: Budget per recipient (this column will be very useful for building your budget)
Column 3: Gift ideas
Column 4: Actual gift(s) purchased
Column 5: Actual money spent

Save this chart and use it again next year. Come January, you might even want to add in columns for birthdays and other gifts that you give throughout the year.

While you’re at it, start working on your holiday card list now. Using the Avery label formats available in Microsoft Word, make a holiday card list and update it throughout the year as friends and family change addresses and friends are added (or old friends are deleted). That way, the only thing you need to think about come holiday card time is choosing the card itself. Speaking of that, don’t wait to start looking for deals on holiday cards. If you see a 25 percent discount, grab it!

To make your budget, use the total figure from column two of your Excel sheet and add an estimated amount for any other holiday expenses like entertaining, travel, holiday cards, gift wrap/ribbon and the random hostess gift. That way you’ll know how much you’ll need to budget. Next year, kick off this process in January and you’ll barely feel the pinch throughout the year. Create a special savings account just for this purpose and do not touch it until you’re ready to start shopping.

If you don’t have enough wiggle room in your budget to save the amount you need, you’ll need to sacrifice something . What are you splurging on that you could cut out until after the holidays? A $20 weekly manicure? A $4 daily coffee at the barista? A $35 monthly car wash? Every time you forgo it, sock that money away.

You’ll also want to plan your purchases around their optimal buy date. Sales and promotions come and go, but there are a few rules you can typically follow. In the fall, you should buy buying fall clothing and anything home office-related. These items are in the back-to-school bucket and will be deeply discounted mid to late September. Retailers will also announce their hot holiday toy predictions in mid-September. If there’s something on these lists that your child will want badly, you might want to jump on it before it sells out, even if you’re not getting the very lowest price.

During the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, you should consider the deals on flat screen TVs and laptops. In recent years, there’s also been substantial promotional activity in the apparel and beauty categories, so be on the lookout for good deals. Late in the year, winter clothing and holiday-themed items will be lining the clearance racks.

Now that you’ve prepared, it’s time to start shopping. Before making any purchases, though, use price comparison tools like PriceGrabber online or the RedLaser app while you’re in stores. Also, look for coupons before checking out. Avid online shoppers should use the Slice app to keep track of all online purchases. Slice monitors the shipping status of each order, will alert you to a product recall and even notify you if there has been a drop in price since you made your purchase.

You know by now that you’ll need a few gifts beyond what you’ve planned for. Meeting your future in-laws for the first time? Staying with an aunt around the holidays? Invited to a fabulous holiday bash? Gift, gift and gift. This is unavoidable, so as you’re shopping, keep your eyes peeled for that perfect “anytime, anyone” gift. If you see a good deal on a beautiful candle, bottle of Beaujolais nouveau or bud vase, grab a few and keep them on hand, just in case.

One more tip: Be aware of shipping fees when shopping online. Try to avoid paying them by looking for free shipping coupons or waiting to buy until you have enough items to make the minimum threshold for free shipping. Or buy online and pick up in store, which is a service offered by many retailers, including Walmart, Best Buy, Kmart, Sears and the Container Store.

Avoid “one for them, one for me” shopping! You have a budget, remember? But just so you don’t feel totally deprived, treat yourself to one or two special items throughout the holiday season (remember to add yourself to the Excel sheet and budget, too). You’ll choose those “selfish shopping” gifts more wisely if you’re limited to one or two for the whole season.

More from U.S. News

10 Quirky Ways to Save Money

10 Ways to Cut Your Costs This Week

12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families

How to Get a Frugal Head Start on Holiday Shopping originally appeared on usnews.com

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