How TCA Does the Holidays on a Budget

By Will Fritz | December 6, 2021

Category: Holiday 2021

holidays, holidays on a budget — (Image Credit: Deb Manusama)

With the holidays fast approaching, consumers surely want to get the best and most-up-to-date presents for their loved ones. But odds are, you’re probably not Jeff Bezos and will likely find yourself trying to keep the gift-giving to a reasonable cost — and we at TCA are no different. With that in mind, here are some tips from our family to yours on how to get through the holidays without breaking the bank.

Settlements!

You had to know this would come up in a holiday story written by Top Class Actions! It’s an obvious one, but there are all kinds of class action settlements you could potentially qualify for that could leave you with some extra dough for holiday shopping. Check out our open settlements here to see if there are any you can get in on.

Check prices online first

Of course, given that you’re already on TCA’s website, you probably know all about what settlements you potentially qualify for! Well, we have plenty of other tips for you.

This seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at how many shoppers spot something on the shelf at Target that they know their nephew has been wanting and grab it without a second thought. Next time you think you see that gift you’ve been eying for your loved one, it may be worth it to check around on some other companies’ websites before you make a final decision — maybe it’s a few dollars cheaper at another store across town.

Buy in multiples

If you know more than one of your loved ones will like the same gift, don’t feel bad about getting it for them both! There could be two-for-one deals on the item, so this could save you some cash.

Old electronics

We all know every teenager is under the impression the world will stop spinning on its axis should they get anything other than the latest iPhone that they swear all of their friends have, but come on — do they really have an urgent use for three separate rear cameras? Consider getting them a less-than-top-of-line phone or a model that’s one or two years old. We promise they’ll survive.

Skip weekends if you can

We all have busy lives, so this is easier said than done, but no one likes sitting through three traffic light cycles just to get into the Walmart shopping plaza, then bare-knuckling it for a parking space before wading through crowds and finally ending up stuck in a checkout line for what feels like an eternity. We do our best to avoid the stores on Saturdays and Sundays — early on weekday mornings is a great time to do your shopping, if you can fit it into your schedule and you don’t mind waking up early.

Be smart about travel planning

Hear us out. Red-eye flights may not be a whole lot of fun. But we don’t mind trying to catch a few Zs on the plane if it means spending a few hundred dollars less than we would have for a flight during normal human hours. Besides, the traffic is a bit better at LAX when you land at the crack of dawn.

And remember, the pandemic isn’t over. It will probably pay to buy travel insurance so that you won’t be out for the entire cost of your flight should you or anyone you’re traveling with test positive for COVID-19.

Stick to your spending limit

And finally, here’s another one that sounds obvious but is more difficult for people to stick to than you’d think. Set a holiday shopping budget for yourself before you head to the store, and stick to it. If you only want to spend $30 on your grandchild’s gift, don’t fudge it and go for something that’s $40 because you think they’ll like it better. All of those little adjustments add up and will be quite the headache next time you look at the state of your bank account. Keep it under the amount you know you can pay. They’ll just have to understand.