It's only a couple days after Halloween, but Miamians are already thinking about the holidays, trying to beat the rush for gift deals and seasonal jobs.
Early bird shoppers took to the stores yesterday in the hopes of finding bargains and beating the Christmas crunch.
"It's better because prices are better right now than close to Christmas," said shopper Sergio Sabogal, of Weston.
"You see a lot of sales, a lot of promotions, you know, for good kids," bargain hunter Vicki Machin said.
Experts say devising a plan and sticking to it can only help your bottom line. They recommend setting a budget, then keeping an eye out for any possible deals.
"Those impulse purchases tend to drive up the costs, outside the budget it goes on the credit card and then you have the January doom and gloom," said Curt Davis, with Davis Financial Management.
Certain retail stores like Sears are offering Christmas Club Cards, which match some of the money you stock away.
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"They can pick out a card and activate it with as little as $5 and then they can reload it throughout the holiday season," said Michael Peck with Sears.
Not everyone was out to shop yesterday. With a recession still in effect and the job market tighter than ever, some Miamians are hoping to grab a seasonal job early.
With two national hiring surveys showing that retailers are planning to hire the same or fewer number of employees for the holidays, looking for a job in early November isn't out of the question.
"I need money for the lady, if I want to buy her something nice, I gotta get money, right?" said job seeker Isaac Rossi.
