With Thanksgiving plowing towards us at breakneck speed, it can only mean that Black Friday’s official kickoff to the Christmas shopping season is barreling just behind it. If you’re traveling over an extended period of time for work or pleasure, you might have some trouble plugging in and getting your shopping done on time, especially if it needs to be shipped cross country. Here are some tips to help you dive headfirst into checking off your gift list without breaking the bank or breaking your back.
The first thing that comes to mind with Black Friday is the endless lines of shoppers willing to brave the cold overnight camping in order to make it into their stores early enough to snag the best deals. However, what most people don’t know is that it’s sometimes better to do the shopping online instead, from the comfort of your own home or PC Housing lodging (our free high speed internet does come in handy!).
Retailers often post equal or better deals on their websites versus in their brick and mortars store locations in order to help manage the traffic. Furthermore, it pays to sign up for your favorite brand’s newsletters and loyalty cards, and routinely check their social media pages like Facebook and Twitter. Retailers love to reward their best customers with insider deals, and the holiday season is no exception.
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But if you happen to be out of town during the holiday shopping season, this is the perfect opportunity to find unique and meaningful gifts for everyone on your list. Skip the massive malls with the same items across the country and head to the boutiques and locally owned shops to fine one-of-a-kind (or at least not mass produced) gifts your recipients will adore. Houston is a great city for boutique shopping, Los Angeles is great for finding vintage items, and Chicago is all about those quirkier items you’ll never find anywhere else. But also pay attention to the sales tax where you are: if you normally live in San Francisco and are staying in corporate housing in Denver you’ll save on sales tax alone. Plus, while many of these smaller, locally owned shops might not participate in the midnight doorbusters that have become so common on Black Friday, most do participate in Small Business Saturday, where locals are encouraged to support their local businesses. Take advantage of your temporary town; there are usually some good deals to be had!
Once you have your gifts wrapped and ready to go, you can either pack everything into your checked baggage, or you can preship everything to your holiday destination. If you are leaving your PC Housing home behind to travel to your real home for the holidays and plan on carrying your gifts with you, there are some ways to make it as painless as possible.
With the exception of Southwest and JetBlue, most domestic airlines charge a standard of $25 for the first checked bag. Barring any unexpected snags like the airline losing your luggage, this ensures that all of your holiday prep comes along with you and arrives on time. However, it might be worth it to just have your own carry on to worry about and send packages ahead of time with the US Post Office’s Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes. Ranging from $5.80 for a small box, to $16.85 for a large size, these boxes are perfect for sending gifts since you can order them to be delivered to your home for free, and send them without having to worry about paying an exorbitant amount for shipping.
If you’re staying close to your temporary PC Housing pad, make sure to fill it with festive holiday spirit to stay cheery this season. Happy Holidays!