Avoid the gift-giving rush: 3 ways to beat the craze

MANILA, Philippines – Here in our country, the onset of the “-ber” months usher in the holiday season – a time for generosity and celebration with our loved ones. It’s a festive string of endless parties, gift-giving, and food.

But among all the things that we’re looking forward to, Christmas shopping (READ: 125 Christmas gift ideas for every personality) — with the onslaught of frantic shoppers — seems to be the one thing that can dampen the festive mood. 

Like Santa Claus, when the holidays begin, you make a list and check it twice. You head out to do your shopping and before you know it, you’re stuck in a tight traffic jam. And despite the cheery Christmas tunes, there’s little to sing or dance about once you get inside the mall. Tight crowds and long shopping lists can take away the jolliness in the holiday spirit. 

Luckily, shopping for gifts for your loved ones doesn’t always have to be a stressful affair. Here are a few handy hacks to beat the craze in holiday shopping. 

Skip carrying cash

Going through a Christmas shopping list can be as complicated as balancing an accounting ledger. While you’re elbowing your way to the last “sale” item, carrying cash can be worrisome, especially with the prevalence of pickpockets in big crowds. Rather than checking a notepad while fumbling for bills and coins in the queue, why don’t you lighten your load – literally? 

Shopping with a debit card offers advantages over carrying cash. It combines the convenience of a credit card with the immediate payment of a cash transaction — no need to find and line-up at an ATM to do so, you can just shop and swipe! And staying within your budget and monitoring your expenses is made easier with online billing statements as well.

With everything paid off with a swipe, a BDO Debit Card is your ticket to a hassle-free shopping experience. 

Shop online

Skip the heavy traffic and jam-packed malls by shopping using your computer or smart phone instead.

You can get endless choices and great deals when you shop online. E-commerce combines convenience, variety and affordability in one package. Instead of walking from one end of the mall to the other with your heavy shopping bags, you can stay home, prepare a cup of hot chocolate, and complete your shopping with just a few clicks. Then you can just sit back, relax and wait for your gifts to be delivered right to your door.

The time and energy you save by shopping online can then be put to better use – like spending it with your loved ones or even working on recipes for an impressive noche buena feast.

Indulge yourself

Don’t forget to indulge yourself after braving the holiday rush. Special promos and offers come in all shapes and sizes, especially during the holiday season.

With a BDO Debit Card in particular, you can reward yourself through your gift buying. You can use it to get instant discounts and freebies at hundreds of BDO partner merchants nationwide. And when you shop anywhere from now until January 15, 2016, you’ll even get a chance to win P5,000!

With these kinds of promos, you can invest in the best kind of gifts – the ones that give back to you as well as others. 

In the true spirit of Christmas, you can spend less time worrying about your shopping and more time with the people that matter most to you with these handy tips. You’ll be laughing all the way this holiday season! – Rappler.com 

For a minimum purchase of P500, BDO Debit Card MasterCard Cardholders will be entitled to join the ‘Win Back’ Raffle Promo! By simply using BDO Debit Card MasterCard for purchases on-site or online, 888 lucky winners will be rewarded P5,000 between October 15, 2015 to January 15, 2016. Visit https://www.bdo.com.ph/promos/bdo-debit-mastercard-raffle-promo for more details.