Buying Christmas presents for all your relatives can be an expensive affair. If you do your Christmas errands well before Christmas, you can save money on many items.
Countercyclical shopping
With the help of online price comparisons, you can determine how the prices of certain items change in the annual cycle, says Schnäppchenhelden. By comparing, it can be determined that certain products are cheaper at certain times of the year than at others. That’s why it’s worth paying close attention to when the item is cheapest at a certain time of year, especially when making more expensive purchases. As RTL reports, you can save up to 70 percent on purchases through countercyclical shopping. Because many retailers increase their prices in September in anticipation of Christmas, RTL continues, the following often applies: If you buy your Christmas presents in the summer, you not only save yourself the stress of shopping in December, but also save money on many items.
These goods are particularly suitable
Products that are particularly in demand at a certain time of year are usually suitable for anti-cyclical shopping. For example, many items for winter sports, such as skis and snowboards, are cheapest in the summer months, according to Bargain Heroes. Items that are popular gifts, such as toys or jewelry, often become cheaper after Christmas, according to WirtschaftsWoche. So are, for example LEGO-Products up to 47 percent more expensive in the weeks before Christmas. Winter tires are also cheapest when demand is lowest. You’ll save the most if you buy them in April, as Bargain Heroes notes. Electronic devices are also suitable for countercyclical purchasing. However, the times of high demand do not necessarily depend on the annual cycle. Rather, leading trade fairs at which new product announcements are made have an influence on prices. Electronic devices are also popular Christmas gifts. Items that are not sold by Christmas are often sold cheaper at the beginning of the New Year and in the summer.
These goods are particularly cheap during high season
But countercyclical shopping is not suitable for all kinds of products. Perishable products in particular are cheaper during their peak season. For example, according to bargain heroes, fruit and vegetables are particularly cheap during their ripening period: strawberries, cherries and raspberries are in season in early summer and are also cheapest at this time. In contrast, they become more expensive in winter. Another product that is not suitable for countercyclical shopping is sunscreen. According to Bargain Heroes, the demand for sunscreen is highest in the summer, but that doesn’t make it more expensive. On the contrary: it becomes cheaper, especially in the summer months, and more expensive in the winter months. When it comes to grills, one could also assume that they will become more expensive due to the high demand in summer. However, according to Bargain Heroes, it turns out that grills and grill accessories can be cheaper in the early summer months, which is because these products are available almost everywhere in summer.
So it makes sense, especially when it comes to Christmas presents or expensive purchases, to think in advance about which products are most affordable at what time and then buy them at those times.
E. Schmal / editorial team finanzen.net