Planning for Christmas and birthdays can often prove difficult and stressful for parents, especially when purse strings are being tightened and the cost of everything seems to be going up. We asked some WoodenToyShop customers how they managed to spread the costs of Christmas and birthday presents for their children...
While our first mum was amazed to have spotted Christmas cards when out shopping for a Father’s Day card, another mum told us that as a single parent she starts her Christmas shopping early and has already bought a few things for her children. She keeps her eye out for bargains and will buy presents whenever she spots a good price and has the funds available. Just as importantly, she stores the presents with grandma and granddad!
Another very well organised mum told us that she had almost completed her Christmas shopping for both the adults and the children. Once again, this mum buys presents for her kids whenever she spots a bargain and advises, “best to start early and save than have a mad dash and spend a lot in one go! You don’t really notice it if you spread it over the year!â€
Savvy
Some parents have very practical obstacles to overcome when it comes to Christmas shopping. One very busy mum told us that her son’s birthday is four days before Christmas Day and on top of that she is expecting a new arrival in October, so “if I'm not organised this year nothing will get done!†She was by no means the only mum in this situation and having to make sure older children get all the attention (and presents!) they need when a new baby comes home.
Our most organised Mum told us that she was half done, having bought lots of things for her son in the January sales. She admitted that her record for buying in advance was around 18 months (!) and that she keeps a spreadsheet for birthdays and Christmas, with columns for ideas and whether or not she has turned the ideas into presents!
Free
When it comes to online shopping, when polled our customers overwhelmingly came out in favour of free delivery*. When asked how important Free Delivery is when shopping online, most thought that it was very important and indicated that they prefer online retailers who offer free shipping to those that charge for delivery.
When possible, WoodenToyShoppers avoid paying for postage and will buy another item instead. They are also more likely to return to stores offering free delivery and certainly don’t like paying post and packing fees that are as expensive as the items they are buying. While one shopper admitted she didn’t mind paying p&p for the convenience of home delivery, another commented that the first thing she looks for when visiting an online store is a Free Shipping button.
When shopping online, savvy shoppers compare combined prices (retail price plus p&p) when choosing between stores. They are aware that a low retail price is sometimes accompanied by a more expensive delivery charge, so they check out the overall ‘deal’ when shopping.
One thing is certain: like their mothers and grandmothers before them, today’s mums are shopping intelligently to make their budgets stretch as far as they possibly can.
*At the time of writing, WoodenToyShop is offering free standard delivery on all orders for a limited period.
