4 Ways to Handle The Holiday Rush

It's hard to believe the holidays are upon us once again. The end of the year can be a great time to connect and celebrate with loved ones, but it can also be a real source of stress and anxiety. If you're looking for ways to get through the holidays with a maximum of cheer and a minimum of chores, we've got a few tips that might help.

Shop Early

Everyone says this every year, but, really, this time, the earlier you can do your shopping, the better. There have been numerous reports of supply shortages—especially for in-demand items such as luxury goods and electronics—not to mention slower-than-normal shipping times, and that's not even taking into account all the obligations and scheduling complications that will likely start to pile up for you during this hectic time of the year. Imagine being able to kick back a couple of weeks before Christmas and just relax—the feeling will be, as they say, priceless.

Save Time and Energy by Shopping Online

Online shopping can be a convenient way to find deals without having to fight through the traffic caused by all the other holiday shoppers. And more and more small businesses are jumping into e-commerce, letting you support local at the same time.

However, while online shopping is more mainstream than ever, it's important to be vigilant for scams and fraud, especially during the holiday season. Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated at setting up fake storefronts, either with a standalone website or via a social media page. It can be easy to miss the red flags of a fake retail shop, but here are some of the main ones to watch out for:

The online store wants you to pay upfront with a money order, a pre-loaded cash card, a wire transfer or even cryptocurrency, rather than a normal credit card.
The online store offers prices and selection too good to be true, and often has typos or oddly phrased blocks of text that don't quite make sense.
The online store doesn't have a lot of independent reviews and feedback, and doesn't provide much detail about their return policy.

If you suspect that you've been the victim of online fraud, or you think that your banking accounts or personal information has been breached, report the incident immediately to your bank.

Speaking of banking, one great way to prepare for the holiday rush:

Sign up for your Bank's Online and Mobile Tools

Online and mobile banking lets you handle all kinds of tasks quickly and easily, wherever you happen to be. And when you're running all over the place getting ready for the holidays, that can be a huge help.

You can check your balance to see how much more shopping your bank account can take, view pending transactions to see if that deposit has cleared yet, or deposit checks without having to call in or visit a branch. With our mobile app, you can also use Live Chat to make it super easy to get expert help in a pinch.

Find Ways to Trim Back

The holiday season can often be a time for overload—it's so easy to spend more, eat more, schedule more, stress more, all in the pursuit of creating a special experience for you and your loved ones. Taking a step back and resetting expectations can be a good way to slow the roller coaster down. Instead of buying gifts for your entire extended group of friends, making simple, homemade treats or even sending a heartfelt message could be a great way to connect. Consider paring down how many social events you need to show up for, and increasing the amount of downtime you take for yourself. And when it comes to the holiday feast itself, going minimal will not only cut hours of planning and prep work, but also reduce the chances that you'll be left overloaded with carbs and regret.

Bonus Tip: Start Saving for Next Year