The season of spending is upon us! Those of us who plan ahead may be finished with Christmas shopping by now, but the rest of us (including me) have barely scratched the surface. Over the years, I’ve come up with a few strategies that have made holiday shopping a little more bearable for me.
Here’s what I have to offer:
Shop as much as you can on line: It will save you time driving, parking and standing in line. Many companies, like L.L. Bean, offer free shipping this time of year, so be sure to take advantage of that if it’s offered.
Read the Newspaper: Many stores print coupons and advertisements that will showcase what’s on sale and when. You can save money if you clip the coupons and pay attention to times to buy
Go to the mall on Sunday morning: If you get a copy of the mall’s holiday schedule, you can plan to be there when they open on Sunday (sometimes as early as 8am) and get your shopping done while the rest of the world sleeps in and goes to brunch. You can be done and gone before it gets busy
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes: This is not the time to rock the supermodel stilettos. Serious shoppers wear sneakers or rubber-soled boots. Trust me, you’ll last longer and feel better. If you can, leave your coat in the car so you don’t have to drag that around with all your bags
Speaking of bags, bring reusable shopping bags: Do your part to cut down on waste by bringing your own bags so you don’t have to take the store’s paper or plastic
Use a List: take a lesson from Santa, he knows what he’s doing. You don’t have to break it down into Naughty and Nice categories, but if you know what you’re there to buy, you’ll finish faster
Take a Break! Holiday shopping is a sport and you should approach it as an athlete would by alternating exertion and rest. Sit down and sip a hot chocolate or Peppermintini to celebrate finding that great deal and then continue after your batteries are recharged
Since I happen to work for a telecommunications company 😉 , I’d also like to offer some tips on shopping for a new phone system:
Know what you want: make a list of the features that would make your life easier; voice mail, call forwarding, conference calling, Music on Hold, voicemail to email, etc
Come up with a budget: finding a phone system in your price range begins with knowing how much you have to spend. If you’re tight on funds, consider refurbished equipment or leasing
Get educated: There are many products out there and lots of information to be found. Do your homework so you have a better idea of which system might suit your needs. Teltek’s website is brimming with facts and figures and it’s there for you to discover.
Call Teltek!: We are Certified Avaya Business Partner, NEC Dealer, and Microsoft Partner and we’ve been doing this for a really long time. Call us today and speak to one of our holly-jolly Account Executives 😀