Start Shopping Now!
By Kevin Gibbons & Melissa Tosetti
The holidays can be challenging, but this year may be more than ever.
The global supply chain issue has created bare shelves at stores across the U.S. Experts anticipate shortages to only get worse. With this in mind, we have three suggestions to help you navigate the challenges while keeping your holiday cheer.
1. Start Gift Shopping Now
Whether ordering online or heading to the store, try to get your gift shopping done as soon as possible. You may need back up gift ideas as your first choices might not be available. By giving yourself plenty of time to shop you can remain nimble, limiting stress and staying within your spending plan.
Consider purchasing from local artisans who may not be as affected by the supply chain issue.
2. Buy non-perishable ingredients now!
Decide on your holiday menu now. This will allow you to start purchasing freezable and non-perishable ingredients immediately. Waiting until the week of the celebration could prove catastrophic as everyone heads to the store for similar items.
This will also allow you to spread the cost of your holiday meal over several paychecks.
3. Have a back up plan.
Be prepared to not be able to find what you need. Consider planning menus around non-fussy dishes - dishes that aren’t ruined if a single ingredient is unavailable. You can also flex your chef muscles and investigate ingredients you can use in exchange.
One year, my (Melissa) mom couldn’t find red food coloring for her famous red velvet cake. She improvised and purchased green food coloring instead. The results were deliciously hilarious. It’s a cake we still talk about to this day.
The biggest takeaway is to plan ahead and start shopping.
There is a bright side. By being forced to be proactive this year, you can get most of the stressful holiday chores out of the way, giving you more time to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family.
Kevin Gibbons and Melissa Tosetti are Cash Flow Planning Experts and authors of the international bestseller Living The Savvy Life. For the past nine years, they have worked with over 650 individuals and families to create Spending Plans.
To learn about how Kevin and Melissa work with clients visit The Savvy Life’s Home Page. If you’d like to learn about how they work with financial advisors and their clients visit: The Savvy Life Advisor’s Page.
