【欧美生活】The Best Time To Shop For Christmas Gifts

Finding that show-stopping Christmas gift is no easy feat, whether you’re browsing the aisles at your local department store or endlessly perusing Amazon for a perfect pick. In fact, Americans are dropping more cash than ever to fill their friends and family members’ lives with holiday cheer. So, how much will an average Christmas haul cost? According to the National Retail Foundation, Americans plan to shell out an average of $1,007.24 on Christmas gifts this year, a figure that’s up more than 4 percent from 2017, when shoppers averaged $967.13 on their holiday haul.

However, while dropping a mortgage payment or the bulk of a paycheck on Christmas gifts may not be an appealing prospect, there’s good news: if you’re looking to save some serious money—and maybe your sanity in the process—there’s a better time to shop for Christmas presents.

So, when will you get the most for your money?

Starting early—really early—will save you the most when it comes to buying Christmas presents. After the holidays are over, stores tend to discount their merchandise steeply to make room for the following year’s inventory. So, if you’re looking to stock up on majorly discounted gifts, the week between Christmas and New Year’s is generally your best bet, especially when it comes to big-ticket items.

According to NerdWallet, TVs, electronics, fitness equipment, bedding, cars, and toys all tend to have the deepest discounts following the holidays. However, for gifts like iPhones, you’re better off waiting until September, when Apple announces new models, leading to major savings on the previous year’s phone. If it’s laptops and appliances you’re after, waiting until the last minute might just help you out­—these items are all cheapest in November, thanks to Black Friday sales.

And if your big gift this year is going to be jewelry, saving those pricey baubles for the following year will serve you well. According to the International Diamond Exchange, just 5.1% of all jewelry is purchased in January—compared to 23.9% in December—meaning that you’ll often find huge deals on diamonds and other expensive jewelry items after Christmas.

Vocabulary

peruse 仔细阅读

shell out 支付

figure 数字

mortgage payment 按揭贷款支付

bulk of paycheck 一堆支票

an appealing prospect 吸引人的前景

sanity 理智

steeply 急剧地

your best bet 你最好的赌注

big-ticket items 大件商品

appliances 电器

pricey baubles 昂贵的小球