Simplify Holiday Shopping

There are ONLY 43 shopping days till Christmas, and even worse; only 35 days until the first night of Chanukah. Simplify your holiday shopping with the purchase of a new car.

The National Retail Federation is projecting a year-over-year spending increase of 4.1%. A stronger economy and stock market surge may lead to even better than forecasted results. Americans love to shop and the holidays seem to get bigger each year. It’s not just the gifts, but holiday décor, holiday parties, clothes for holiday parties, holiday cards, holiday travel—the expenses go on and on.

Instead of frantically running from store to store, or browsing the offerings of online retailers and stockpiling gifts for each person on your list, consider giving someone a car. Not, the “my child is so spoiled, I will buy them a car” car. But, the “it makes good financial sense” to buy someone a car, car. It doesn’t have to be a fully-loaded luxury model. There are year-end model clearance cars, year-end inventory closeouts and used car deals that make buying a car very affordable.

Moreover, a reasonably priced car may not cost much more than the pile of expensive gifts under the tree. Diamond rings, vacations, personal electronics and other common gifts can really put a dent in your wallet. Although a car may seem like the ultimate extravagance, when you average the cost over a year, consider residual value and the benefit to the recipient, you might find it’s worth a good look. A car may even fit the bill for a year’s worth of gifts for a loved one such as birthday, graduation, Mother’s Day and other celebrations. You may actually find that a modest monthly car payment may be comparable to buying individual gifts throughout the year.

If you do consider purchasing a car for a loved one, try finding out what colors, models, and features they would want in a car. One person couldn’t live without Bluetooth and the next only cares about gas mileage. Next, find a dealership that can help you ask the right questions, calculate costs and complete title work before you buy. Find out if the dealership has an exchange policy in case your surprise isn’t met with unfettered joy.

The days between Thanksgiving and New Years are some of the most robust of the year for automobile sales. There are lots of year end deals and dealers often have a better selection of inventory to choose from than during the summer.

The best gifts are those that surprise and delight someone. A car certainly fits the bill in addition to its many practical benefits.