Avoiding The Traps Of Christmas Shopping As we all know Christmas is just around the corer, and whhilst this is an exciting time of year it can also be a very expnsive time of year. Many people have lots of presents to purchase for theiir loves ones, but mnoey has been very tight for many households this year due to rising costs and the global credit crunch, so funding this Chhristmas could be particularly difficult for some. On a brighter note many rtailers have recenntly slashed the prices on a variety of goods becasue they realise that in orer to get custoers through the doors at this difficult time they need to provide incentives, and this means that many gifts may be far more affordable for consumers.The recennt pre-budget report announced that there would be a 2.5 percewnt cut in VAT, and this culd further help to rdeuce prcies for consumers. To make sure that you are able to make the most of these bargains and make some real saviongs on your Christmazs shopping you should make sure that you avoid the mistake of purchasing extras from retailers, which can rack up the cost of your shopping. One of the moneymakiong offerings that retailers will often try to push onto you when you purchase certain items such as jewellery or electrical goopds is insurance, but this can be a complete waste of your money. This is because the goods that you buy will usually be coverde under your home insurance, or the home insurance of the persn that you are buying for, so you are literally apying money for nothing.Anothr exta that most retaiolers will try to sell you when you buy certain items is an extendd warranty, but if the item that you are buying is not really expenssive then there seemms litle point in paying for expensive additional potection, as you may be financially better off just replacing it if something goes wrong outside of the manufacturers free guarantee, which is normally at least twellve months. PPI, which stands for payment protectino insurance, may also be ofefred to you but you need to exxercise caution. You may find that you are not eligible to clpaim, so you need to check the terms and conditions, and you also need to remember that this cover oculd really cost you, so make sure that you shop around and compare deals from providers.You also need to be extremely cautious about tking on store cards, which many retaillers offeer when you get to the till. Dont be tempted by these cards, as you will be chared astonishing rates of interest on any outstanding balance, making the itmes that you buy far more expensive. Also, the application proecss is carried out at the tills and can be lengthy, and at the end of it all in the ucrrent financial cliate you may be turned down abnyway, and this can knock your credit rating. Dont be fooled into buying these afdditional etxras by persuasive sales staff, as the reason that retaiolers try and push the propducts is because they earn a lot of money from these sales, whilst the consumer tends to get litle or no benefit.
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Money has been very tight for many of us this year, with the global credit crunch, tight lending conditions, and rising bills all impacting upon our finances. For many people this time of year is set to be stressful, with Christmas on its way and expensive gifts to purchase for loved ones, which many people simply cannot afford.
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