ROANOKE, Va. – There are just two days left until Christmas, and if you haven’t done your holiday shopping yet, the clock is ticking.
However, you’re not alone. Many shoppers at Valley View Mall said they are still searching for those perfect gifts.
“We did a little bit here and there, but we’re just trying to make sure that we get everything for everybody on our lists,” said Patricia Lee.
“You just start ordering things, forget what you ordered, and then when you go to count it all and see what you have you realize you missed a few things,” said Juli Price.
While other people are trying to catch those sales.
“Right now, there’s a lot of stuff on clearance, and while you’re giving three kids eight gifts—like having like little bitty things here and there—it’s easier if you kind of like spread it out,” said Kelsey Steffen.
Some shoppers said there are fewer lines when you wait.
“I try to avoid the crowds, and honestly, the closer you get to Christmas, the fewer people there are in the stores. By the 24th, the lines aren’t as long,” said Elizabeth Powell.
If you waited until the last minute to find that perfect present, you would probably still like to save some money.
Virginia Tech Finance Assistant Professor Jesse Lineberry said to make a budget and stick with it when shopping.
“If you haven’t made a budget, it’s not too late to do that [and] kind of look at what’s available to you,” said Lineberry.
He also said to avoid paying for presents on your credit card. Instead, pay with cash. Lineberry said if you have any unused points from credit cards, try to redeem them as well. You can either use the gift cards as gifts or use the cards to buy gifts for friends and family.
Lineberry also said you can be creative when giving out your gifts.
“It’s not really the price. That part wears off after two minutes when you open the gift. It’s the thought and so that means there’s an opportunity to build things or create things, instead of buying things when we can,” said Lineberry.
Finally, he said you can shop online, which can help you look for any discounts or coupons.
However, if you are shopping online try to be careful of scams. One way to do this is to double-check that the website that you entered is correct and that the website starts with https.