{"id":3061,"date":"2020-11-17T13:00:21","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T18:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/?p=3061"},"modified":"2020-11-19T17:18:48","modified_gmt":"2020-11-19T22:18:48","slug":"are-you-ready-for-a-new-kind-of-holiday-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/?p=3061","title":{"rendered":"Are You Ready For A New Kind Of Holiday Season?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||20px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>Are You Ready For A New Kind Of Holiday Season?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Take a stressful year, add some holiday pressure, and what do you get?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A cry for help!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Fortunately, there are some simple steps that can help make the holiday season less stressful for you and your members. Below are some tips on how to take advantage of holiday shopping trends to make the most of the holidays without getting overwhelmed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Take advantage of online ordering<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">With the colder weather, experts are predicting a resurgence in coronavirus cases. Many stores are prepared. They\u2019re encouraging people to shop online while increasing their capacity for curbside pick-ups. There are reasons to take advantage of this service that go beyond health and safety. Often provided as a free service, it can be a great way to save shopping time. Rather than gathering the items yourself, you can simply drive up and have everything placed in your car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Start Shopping Now<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/holiday-shopping-2020-why-consumers-should-shop-early-2020-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Business Insider<\/span><\/a>, increased online ordering has shipping providers predicting a backlog this season. This can cause headaches for last minute shoppers looking to get their orders in time for holiday celebrations. Another issue mentioned by Business Insider is the fact that store inventory is lower and stock may run out fast. It also notes there are likely to be fewer deals later in the season, so shopping as early as possible can help members take advantage of more opportunities to save.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Keep gift giving simple and practical<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">A still unstable economy means tight budgets for most people and more concerns about spending money. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsc.net\/prepaid\/gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Gift cards<\/span><\/a> are a simple, practical option. They are also easy to buy and send. Gift cards keep the guesswork out of what will fit within budget and the giver can enjoy knowing recipients will be able to get what they truly want or need. This is especially true of open-loop gift cards versus cards associated with a particular store. Open-loop cards also frequently offer fraud protection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Combine holiday activities<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Just like summer vacation, winter break adds pressure to find safe entertainment options for the family. This calls for multitasking. Look for ways to get the whole family involved in holiday preparations.\u00a0 Make decorating into a mini holiday party with music. Assign everyone a decorating task and hand out small prizes to all the kids in different categories like \u201cmost creative\u201d or \u201cfastest decorator.\u201d Instead of shopping, making holiday gifts can be a family activity. Apps are another fun resource. Look for apps that blend entertainment like reading or games with charitable causes to help kids learn to share with others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">While the pandemic has changed the way we do many things, we don\u2019t have to let it steal our holiday joy. These tips can help members adapt holiday preparations to work with the current flow of daily life. You can also remind members of how credit union offerings like gift cards can help simplify their holiday shopping or even their year-round budgeting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">LSC is here to help you support members\u2019 financial goals and keep them informed about the products and services available to meet their needs. If you would like to learn more about our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsc.net\/prepaid\/gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">prepaid card program<\/span><\/a> or other services, please contact our sales department at 1-800-942-7124.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cuinsight.com\/author\/naomi-anderson\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Naomi Anderson<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s3\"><i>, <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cuinsight.com\/partner\/lsc\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>LSC<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LSC-Logo_Med_w-tag_clr-e1519138951138.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-2053 alignnone size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LSC-Logo_Med_w-tag_clr-300x151.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"151\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n  ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||20px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||false|false&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.0&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;] Are You Ready For A New Kind Of Holiday Season? Take a stressful year, add some holiday pressure, and what do you get?\u00a0 A cry for help!\u00a0 Fortunately, there are some simple [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LSC-Logo_Med_w-tag_clr-e1519138951138.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-2053\" src=\"http:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LSC-Logo_Med_w-tag_clr-e1519138951138.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"126\" \/><\/a><\/p><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Are You Ready For A New Kind Of Holiday Season?<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">Take a stressful year, add some holiday pressure, and what do you get?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A cry for help!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Fortunately, there are some simple steps that can help make the holiday season less stressful for you and your members. Below are some tips on how to take advantage of holiday shopping trends to make the most of the holidays without getting overwhelmed.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Take advantage of online ordering<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">With the colder weather, experts are predicting a resurgence in coronavirus cases. Many stores are prepared. They\u2019re encouraging people to shop online while increasing their capacity for curbside pick-ups. There are reasons to take advantage of this service that go beyond health and safety. Often provided as a free service, it can be a great way to save shopping time. Rather than gathering the items yourself, you can simply drive up and have everything placed in your car.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Start Shopping Now<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/holiday-shopping-2020-why-consumers-should-shop-early-2020-10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Business Insider<\/span><\/a>, increased online ordering has shipping providers predicting a backlog this season. This can cause headaches for last minute shoppers looking to get their orders in time for holiday celebrations. Another issue mentioned by Business Insider is the fact that store inventory is lower and stock may run out fast. It also notes there are likely to be fewer deals later in the season, so shopping as early as possible can help members take advantage of more opportunities to save.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Keep gift giving simple and practical<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">A still unstable economy means tight budgets for most people and more concerns about spending money. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsc.net\/prepaid\/gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">Gift cards<\/span><\/a> are a simple, practical option. They are also easy to buy and send. Gift cards keep the guesswork out of what will fit within budget and the giver can enjoy knowing recipients will be able to get what they truly want or need. This is especially true of open-loop gift cards versus cards associated with a particular store. Open-loop cards also frequently offer fraud protection.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Combine holiday activities<br \/><\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\">Just like summer vacation, winter break adds pressure to find safe entertainment options for the family. This calls for multitasking. Look for ways to get the whole family involved in holiday preparations.\u00a0 Make decorating into a mini holiday party with music. Assign everyone a decorating task and hand out small prizes to all the kids in different categories like \u201cmost creative\u201d or \u201cfastest decorator.\u201d Instead of shopping, making holiday gifts can be a family activity. Apps are another fun resource. Look for apps that blend entertainment like reading or games with charitable causes to help kids learn to share with others.<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">While the pandemic has changed the way we do many things, we don\u2019t have to let it steal our holiday joy. These tips can help members adapt holiday preparations to work with the current flow of daily life. You can also remind members of how credit union offerings like gift cards can help simplify their holiday shopping or even their year-round budgeting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s1\">LSC is here to help you support members\u2019 financial goals and keep them informed about the products and services available to meet their needs. If you would like to learn more about our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lsc.net\/prepaid\/gift\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span class=\"s2\">prepaid card program<\/span><\/a> or other services, please contact our sales department at 1-800-942-7124.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cuinsight.com\/author\/naomi-anderson\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Naomi Anderson<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><span class=\"s3\"><i>, <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cuinsight.com\/partner\/lsc\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>LSC<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3061"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3061\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncultheaffiliate.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}