Stretch your holiday dollars at Goodwill

The holidays are upon us again – store shelves are stocked, holiday tunes are playing and shoppers are in search of something special. Goodwill stores across Puget Sound have holiday treasures at low prices. Shoppers will find an abundance of trees, lights, dolls, ornaments, books, toys and all the trimmings, with new merchandise stocked every day.

Holiday expenses can add up and it can be challenging to stay on budget. On average, Americans spend $700 on purchases such as gifts, meals, decorations and postage.

To get the most out of your holidays while staying within your budget, Goodwill offers these resources and suggestions for holiday shopping without sacrificing the spirit of giving.

1. Make a budget and check it twice: Making a holiday budget before the holidays begin will help you clarify your spending capabilities and give you a clearer picture of what you can afford.  Create a list of loved ones, brainstorm a few gift ideas and write down a maximum spending amount for each person.
2. Shop at budget friendly stores like Goodwill: Goodwill offers book collections, housewares, clothes, furniture, toys and more that will suit the needs of even your pickiest recipients and various budgets. Plus, when you shop at Goodwill, you double your benefits. Since the money you spend helps fund free job training and education for community members in need, you are giving to more than just the loved ones on your list.
3. Get great deals on the web: Do you prefer to do your gift shopping online as you sip a delicious mug of hot chocolate and listen to your favorite holiday music? If so, then ShopGoodwill.com is the place for you! Search thousands of items and with just the click of a mouse you can make bids on one-of-a-kind finds that will be a great gift. For more ideas about shopping Goodwill online, see this website.

Save even more with weekly tag sales: All of the items in Goodwill stores are marked with a specific color tag, most based on when the item was put in the store to be sold. The color of the tag sale rotates on a weekly basis, so check the calendar to see what colors are coming up.

The Shoreline Goodwill store is located at the corner of 15th NE and NE 145th.