How To Save Money Buying Great Value Christmas Presents

With the chilly economic wind blowing hard, everyone buying presents for Christmas wants to know the secret of how can we save money buying great value presents?

The simple truth is there is no secret. We already know what to do.

Yes, the answer to this question is so obvious. But human nature being what it is, most of us tend to do the opposite of what we should be doing. We go and spend as if there was no tomorrow. Follow the Save Money rules you find here and you'll never overspend again!

Rule #1: Buy great value, dont buy cheap.

Its obvious, cheap is cheap. It does not feel nice and, most importantly, cheap does not last. Buying cheap is not saving money but throwing it out of the window.

Rule #2: Buy top quality brands at deep discount.

Quality lasts and feels great, too. Bought at rock bottom prices, quality products will earn their keep and can turn out very inexpensive in the long run.

When you follow these 2 rules you cannot go wrong. You will save money and buy great value presents.

Let me give you two examples:

My first 'iPod' was really cheap. It was a cheap imitation bought on eBay from a Hong Kong trader. It lasted almost six months. It never worked as promised. When it suddenly died neither was the warranty honoured nor did I get a refund.

Adding on the cost of my new MP3 player, I could have bought my first one directly from the manufacturer of the leading brand and still would have saved money. Cheap turned out to be very expensive.

This rule does not only apply to electronic goods. Have you ever bought a really cheap shirt? How many washes did it survive before it lost shape and colour? Two? Three?

By contrast, when I bought shirts from leading retailers at half price sales, the superior quality paid for itself. Ten years and even later, these shirts still looked like new. Expensive had turned into great value and, in the long run, was really cheap.

For good measure, here is a bonus rule:

Rule #3: Buy 1 present for the whole family.

Dont spend your hard earned money on lots of little things just because they cost less. This will make the costs mount up at lightning speed. Instead, buy one quality present at deep discount that everyone can enjoy together.