11172020 smart Holiday Shopping

C1 3 speaker 1: it is almost the most wonderful time of the year.

And if you're at a loss for shopping strategies and gift ideas this year, well, you're not alone.

Luckily for us, smart shopping expert, trae bodge from truetrae.com is here to share her top tips and gift suggestions for everyone on your list.

Welcome to the show, trae.

Trae bodge: thanks so much for having me.

Speaker 1: well okay, so trae, what can we expect this 2020 shopping season?

Because it's been a crazy year, hasn't it?

Trae bodge: yeah, and it gets crazier, right?

And so, holiday shopping is going to look a lot different.

More people are going to be shopping online than ever.

People are going to be doing things like buying online, picking up in store.

There's going to be contact free checkout, if you do shop in stores.

So it's all going to be a little bit different.

But if you are looking for deals, there will be deals across all of those platforms. so don't worry, you will be able to find great deals no matter what.

Speaker 1: good, good, good.

Okay, so now, what gift advice do you have, especially for those hard to buy people on our lists?

My husband is number one.

Trae bodge: right.

So, you can't go wrong with gifts that keep you busy, because obviously we're going to be home a lot more, so i have a couple great options for you.

So first of all, games.

Games are going to be really, really hot this year.

And there's a brand new one from the makers of exploding kittens, it's called a game of cat and mouth.

And you can see it here, it's super fun and visual.

It's a two- person game, it's fiercely competitive, fast-paced, takes a little strategy and precision, and it's so much fun to play.

And so, you play with two people, but you can also do tournaments on their website at catandmouth.game.

And that's $24.99 at target.

And then, also, we can't travel like we want to right now, so why not learn a language?

And so, rosetta stone has a gift called their lifetime subscription.

And this is on sale for $189.99 right now, and it gives the recipient access to 25 languages that they can learn at their leisure.

They can learn one, they can learn more, and it never expires.

So, that's a great one as well, to keep people busy this winter.

Speaker 1: i love it.

Now, will personalization be a big trend for this year?

Trae bodge: yeah.

So, personalization will be really hot this year, especially because we're not seeing as many people as we normally get to, and so it's a great way to connect.

I recently discovered the my magna-tiles from create-on, and you can see them here.

You might be familiar with magna-tiles as a magnetic building game for kids.

But in this case, you can personalize them with your own photographs really quickly and easily, and you could see that i've made myself a set here.

And you can use them for display or play.

And then, create-on has reimagined some of the my magna-tiles sets with characters from sesame street or eric carle.

So you can go the personalized route or the ready-made route.

But it's really fun either way.

Speaker 1: very good.

Now what if we have loved ones who are struggling financially?

Is there a way that we can help?

Trae bodge: absolutely.

So if you're in a position where you're able to give gifts this year, start thinking about who on your list might be struggling at the moment.

There's a digital gifting platform called gift ya, and you can send it by text.

And you personalize it with different colors and patterns, you can add photos and videos.

And it's essentially spending money for their favorite store.

And when they receive that text, they can go shopping right away.

They can also switch retailers that they prefer or offer a visa gift card.

So there's a lot of flexibility in this gift and personalization.

But i'm suggesting that people give this one early, in case you do have someone on your list who is struggling and may not be able to do their holiday shopping or to treat themselves this holiday, you could send them funds to allow them to do that.

Speaker 1: that's a great idea, love it.

And where can we go for more information?

Trae bodge: you can go to truetrae.com.

Speaker 1: awesome.

Trae, thank you so much for being with us today.

We really appreciate it.

Trae bodge: thanks for having me.