Why You Should Start Your Holiday Shopping Now

You know that one relative that does all their Christmas shopping way early? Turns out those early shoppers are on to something and we should follow their lead.

Here's why you should start your holiday season shopping now:

• Shorter lines and less chaos. The crazy crowds haven't formed in the stores yet, so when everyone else is waiting in line being miserable, you can be stress-free at home.
• You'll give better gifts. It's easier to find those perfect gifts when you have more time to think about it. If you wait until mid-December, you'll buy anything just to check people off your list.
• Shopping now means money won't be tight around the holidays. By spreading your spending out over a few months, you won't drain your bank account buying everything in December.
• Avoiding "deals" can actually save you money. Generally those crazy deals on Black Friday or Cyber Monday aren't worth it. Most of those sales are for things we don't actually need.