The holidays are here! That means that you’re likely going to be spending a lot of time shopping in the coming weeks.
Shopping can be a lot of fun as you hunt for gifts that your family and friends will love. But shopping can also be potentially dangerous. After all, it places you in a position of vulnerability. In a public place, around crowds of strangers, often walking to your car at night. This presents chances for thieves to make their move.
That why it’s extremely important to be aware of holiday shopping safety tips. This article takes a look at some ways to make your shopping experience as safe and enjoyable as possible.
Keep reading to gain insight into avoiding bad guys this holiday season.
1. Don’t Wear Expensive Jewelry
When it comes to holiday shopping, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to wear flashy jewelry.
Keep in mind that thieves are going to be watching for shoppers with items of value. Gold jewelry and sparkling diamonds definitely stand out, even in crowded stores. And those types of luxury items are surprisingly easy to steal, especially for skill thieves who know what they’re doing.
So, be a smart shopper and leave the bling at home. You might want to look your best and show off a bit, but all you’re really doing is placing a target on your back, telling potentially thieves to come and get it.
2. Always Be Aware of Your Surroundings
You’re a busy person. Your schedule is packed and there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. Especially during the holidays. Thus it’s easy to get in a rush and become distracted by wanting to get your shopping done and get back to the car.
This is totally understandable, but you need to slow down and pay attention to what’s happening around you.
Take the time to study your surroundings. No matter where you are at, glance around, not the other shoppers, or the other cars and pedestrians in the parking lot. Doesn’t everything seem normal?
Keep in mind that it only takes a few seconds for someone to approach and cause trouble.
Staying aware of your surroundings shouldn’t actually slow down your shopping experience at all. The key is to resist distraction and keep an eye on where you are at the moment, including the nearest exits, or a salesperson whom you can ask for assistance if necessary.
3. Carry Your Cash In Your Front Pocket
If you’re going to carry cash for shopping, you need to make it has hard for thieves to get to as possible. Bad guys have quick hands, and they can steal from you in a flash. So keep your cash in a front pocket where it will be hard to grab without you knowing.
4. Avoid Carrying Large Amounts of Cash
Another tip regarding cash is, keep it to a minimum. Thieves love cash. In fact, they love to steal cash more than anything else. So if you insist on using cash for your Christmas shopping, take as little as possible on each trip and keep in carefully concealed.
5. Don’t Overload Your Arms with Packages
Shopping is fun, but try to resist getting carried away. Because staggering from a store with your arms overloaded with bags and boxes quickly draws attention to you.
Don’t forget that bad guys are looking for stuff to steal. And when you’re outside the store, fumbling with your keys and trying to get the car door open, you’re essentially announcing to the world that you’ve just spent a ton of money.
Make a conscious effort to purchase an item or two at a time and take them to the car. This way your packages will be easier to carry, and you’ll be far less likely to be assaulted or robbed.
6. Shop During the Day
Try to do most of your Christmas shopping during daylight hours. This might be possible for many people, but avoiding the mall parking lot at night will greatly decrease the odds of being approached by a thief.
And if you absolutely must do some of your shopping at night, park as close to the entrance as possible and try to leave your car in a well-lit parking spot to help keep bad guys away.
7. Beware of Strangers Approaching Your Car
As mentioned earlier, be very aware of your environment, both inside and outside. Keep an eye out for strangers behaving suspiciously. Because most of the time simply paying attention is all it takes to avoid a potentially dangerous situation before it even has time to develop.
8. Leave Your Purse at Home
It’s never a wise idea to carry your purse around at the store. After all, everyone knows are where you keep your wallet. This makes you a target. Your best bet is to leave the purse at home, carry a minimal amount of cash, and use your credit cards for shopping instead.
9. Dress Casually
There’s really no reason to wear expensive clothes when you’re Christmas shopping. After all, you’re simply making it easy for bad guys to identify affluent targets.
Instead, wear something casual and comfortable so that you will blend into the rest of the shopping crowd.
10. Keep a Record of Your Credit Numbers at Home
Finally, it’s important to keep a record of your credit card numbers in a safe place at home in case your cards get stolen or lost. Because you likely don’t have your credit card numbers memorized, and you will need to know those numbers when you call the credit card company to cancel your cards.
Important Holiday Shopping Safety Tips Everyone Needs to Know
The holidays are a special time of the year so enjoying family and friends. But it’s important to stay safe. Fortunately, the holiday shopping safety tips contained here will help make your holiday season as safe and fun as possible.
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