Caitríona Redmond: You better watch out — it’s less than 10 weeks to Christmas Day

Beware the special offers and stay price savvy in the next two months

Looking to book a special visit to see Santa in eight weeks’ time? You’ll be lucky! At the time of writing, many of the most popular experiences nationwide are either completely sold out or short on tickets, due to demand.

Last Wednesday, we passed a 2025 milestone, and honestly?

I can already feel the existential dread settling itself onto my shoulders like a weighted vest.

Luckily enough I’m not talking about Hyrox or Tryka, or even a Marathon. Even though each in their own right sounds terrifying to me right now. It’s a little closer to home.

Brace yourself, it’s less than 10 weeks to Christmas Day.

If you need a minute to breathe in and out of a paper bag, that’s entirely understandable, and imagine me standing beside you, patting your back in sympathy.

If you’re meticulously organised and have your plans set out precisely, I’m in awe, you should take a bow.

Looking to book a special visit to see Santa in eight weeks’ time? You’ll be lucky! At the time of writing, many of the most popular experiences nationwide are either completely sold out or short on tickets, due to demand.

These experiences can be quite the pricey venture. 

Depending on what you chose, a family of four wouldn’t have much change left from €200 by the time the parking has been paid for, Santa has been visited, hot chocolates drunk, and the event enjoyed.

Should you really go though?

There’s nothing to say that you should book one of these premium experiences, but the lack of availability displays how popular they are. 

It’s all part of curating the perfect Christmas for kids, but remember, a toddler is more likely to get just as much enjoyment from a cardboard box.

November and December are the months that manufacturers and retailers make most of their profits for the calendar year.

This year will be no different, and we are already being bombarded with advertising and gentle nudge marketing on social media from businesses seeking our undivided attention and parting us from our Euros.

That magical feeling can be difficult to capture, and because we all want to do our best for our loved ones, it makes us more susceptible to paying too much for items and falling for scams. Your money has been hard-earned, and you should be more wary.

BLACK FRIDAY

Black Friday occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving and is celebrated in the US.

It’s not an Irish celebration or event, but it seems to have been transposed to this side of the Atlantic and almost expected of Irish retailers.

Between now and then, we have just over five weeks and it makes today the ideal time to commence tracking the prices of the items you may want to buy for Christmas.

Start by making a list of the things that you want to buy over the next couple of weeks and months. Next, investigate these items online and mark down their prices as of today.

This means that when Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales come around, you will know what a fair discount price for the product is that you want to buy.

Before you start ticking items off your Christmas shopping list, make sure to clarify the refund and return policy of the shop you’re buying from.

Some retailers operate a 30-day policy only; they may extend it over the Christmas period, but this is never definite.

Imagine giving somebody a gift under the tree that’s unsuitable, which would be frustrating enough, but not being able to return a gift or receive a refund would make things horrendously complicated.

As I recently discussed in this very column, some retailers are fronts for companies which are operating outside of Ireland, and while they may have a return or refund policy, they may involve returning a package to China or elsewhere; this could be very expensive and take a long time too.

Keep an eye on those sales prices, because that sale price must be the lowest price and an accurate discount in the 30 days preceding the sale.

So, if a hair dryer was advertised at “€150, now €100” if must not have been made available for less than €150 in the 30 days before the sale.

Shop around to see if the item or product you want to buy is cheaper elsewhere. 

If you’re browsing online, you may find a browser plugin will help identify a more price-friendly alternative. You can also use the Honey plugin for Chrome to find a suitable coupon code to reduce the overall price.

BEWARE

Beware of phrases such as “limited time only” or “last one left”, because those are designed to pressurise you into making a quick decision without having time to consider your purchase.

If you can, leave the items in a virtual basket or on your shopping list for at least 24 hours before buying. This gives you time to cool off and consider if you really want or need to buy something.

Remember, you don’t have to spend any money at all; if you don’t, you walk away with a full purse or wallet. You’re under no obligation to pop anything into your shopping basket, ever.

You are in control of your own funds, so make your money work for you, not somebody else.