With just two days until Christmas, some last-minute shoppers are out still grabbing gifts.
For some, the rush of shopping just hours before the holiday is all part of the Christmas experience.
“Oh I always last-minute shop,” said Marcella Guzman.
“I always procrastinate and wait till the last minute,” Robert Gershman.
For others like Sarah Cortez, it’s a necessity.
“I work two jobs, so I had no time,” said Cortez.
She said she went to JC Penney and found some deals on the three gifts she needed.
“We were getting a new tablet for our daughter,” said Andreya Bennett.
With prices up this holiday season, those hitting the stores told ABC15 they had to budget, strategize, or just spend more.
“It’s hard because everything is so expensive,” said Bennett.
Her family was out shopping while visiting the Valley for the holidays.
Bennett said her family has changed their habits due to inflation.
“Yeah, for sure,” said Bennett. “A lot of budgeting. We drove here from Georgia. So, it’s been expensive.”
This year she said she’s opting for quality over quantity, and she wasn’t the only one.
“I didn’t buy as many in quantity but dollar wise about the same,” said Janet Pavatea.
Last minute with some gifts, but Pavatea says she also turned to online shopping.
A new report released Friday from the Commerce Department offering consumers another small holiday gift.
The department’s inflation gauge shows signs inflation is cooling.
The report showed prices rose 5.5% in November, compared to a year earlier. That number is down from October’s 6.1%.
Some people were still out looking for that perfect gift, even if it costs a little more.
“It’s little more painful but you kinda gotta do what you gotta do,” said Gershman.
He and his wife had agreed to not exchange gifts, but changed their minds a few weeks before Christmas.
“I think we all want to wake up Christmas morning and have something to open up and feel some excitement,” said Gershman.
