Holiday shopping has many checking items off their list early - KWCH

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WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The holiday shopping adverts are a constant reminder. The number of shopping days to Christmas is quickly winding down.

It’s as many stores and shoppers got an early start on Christmas shopping this year. Consumer surveys from the National Retail Federation show about half of Americans started their Christmas shopping before November and retailers will see historic sales.

“It just brings me joy. We just love Christmas,” said Michelle Holly. “Early Christmas morning, we open a present one at a time. That was our tradition ever since I’ve been born.”

Holiday shopping is in full swing at Paramount Antique Mall Sunday as this weekend marks their Holiday Open House.

“Christmas shopping, decoration shopping. Taking advantage of their sale, holiday sale,” said Julie Craig.

Shoppers like Julie and Michelle are searching for those meaningful and unique gifts to make this Christmas special for their families.

“It means everything. A lot more meaning to Christmas, and they have a lot of choices here.” Julie said, “I like to shop for my sisters. They all like antiques, and we all grew up with the same things and that’s what we exchange for Christmas.”

Michelle is nearly finished looking for all the gifts that will be under her family’s tree.

“I start early. My oldest sister, when she was alive, she started and was done usually by June or July, so I got her trait,” she said.

This year, supply chain issues could complicate efforts to find the gifts people are searching for, along with costs rising.

“With everything going on, it may be hard to get things,” Michelle said.

That has people seeking out some good deals at Paramount to help make their holiday spending go a little further if there is a need to splurge on some special gifts.

Julie said, “Find really good deals, but for some antique things, you might pay a little more, but they’re the harder to find things. Doesn’t really matter; you buy what you want when you see it. You’ve got to get it when you see it, or it’s gone.”

Americans are expected to spend on average $648 on gifts this year, according to NRF. That is down slightly from the last couple of years.

“The holidays, we get so caught up in it, and it’s almost designed for us to spend money,” said Consumer Credit Counseling Service Executive Director Jeff Witherspoon. “You’ve got to take some of the emotion out of it. You don’t have to give as lavish gifts that you feel like you need to, but you don’t really need to.”

A survey by CreditCard.com also shows about half of Americans plan to keep their holiday budget consistent with last year. At the same time, 4 in 10 said they are willing to go into debt to finance this spending.

Jeff Witherspoon said it’s important for people to budget their spending, prioritizing their needs like housing, utilities and food to avoid getting into trouble.

Witherspoon said, “They say the average person takes four months to pay off their bills after Christmas, you know maybe this year you don’t do it.”

He said sometimes more than gifts, what is most meaningful is the time with family. He said gifts don’t have to be new to be meaningful, pointing to a personal example of books he received from his children.

CreditCard.com’s survey also shows about 75 percent of Americans are looking for ways to lower the price of each gift by looking for sales and coupons, limiting how many people they are buying for and going secondhand or homemade.

Copyright 2021 KWCH. All rights reserved.

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