10 tips for effortless Christmas gift shopping
Gifting at Christmas becomes a chore if you don’t have a plan, you wait until the last second and you run out of Christmas spirit (or never had it at first).
After all, gift giving celebrates the birth of Christ and reminds us that we are giving to the people in our lives that we love and appreciate. When you forget about the festive nature of Christmas, shopping for Christmas gifts becomes tedious and frustrating.
Ten tips for Christmas shopping
By the way, purchases include real purchases in real stores, online purchases and gift creation. If your finds are limited, create gifts. More on that later.
Here are some tips for effortless Christmas shopping AND keeping in the holiday spirit. While you’re doing these things, listen to seasonal music in the background. It will put you in the Christmas mood, no matter what time of year.
1. Make a paper recipient list or whatever you use to document things (PC, ipad, notepad, phone). This step is pretty obvious, but not everyone does it. Some people just buy and combine gifts later.
2. Describe the recipients – what they do for a living, their hobbies, likes and dislikes. This is also obvious, but few people actually write it. The best gifts are well thought out and highly appreciated by the recipient.
3. Set a budget. Only you know how much you can spend per person or in total. Don’t take a chance with a huge credit card bill in January (along with all the other big January bills).
4. Ask what the person wants for Christmas. You risk tipping them off that he/she is on your list, but it works for some people.
5. Google a category of gifts to get ideas; Online stores often have types of categories called “Gifts for…” lists. For example, the first person on your list is a friend who works in an office as a paralegal, dresses impeccably, and is a fitness fanatic. Online, you can find gift lists for women, gifts for those who are interested in fitness, and gifts for the office.
6. Gift cards are okay under certain circumstances like the person who has everything and the kids who live in another state. Make sure the gift card is for a location/store they have access to.
7. If you are short of money, consider giving a coupon for services like babysitting, gardening, grocery shopping. Then keep the promise. You can also buy personalized gifts like coffee mugs with a picture or a t-shirt with a saying that you both wear (Bazinga!).
8. Regardless of what security experts say, I buy online exclusively. I hate mall crowds and rush shopping. I have successfully shopped online for the last 10 years without any security issues.
9. If you buy online, make sure you order with enough time to wrap. Also, keep track of where you bought what items.
10 Make it a priority to get your Christmas shopping done a week before the holidays. It will save you headaches, stress and give you bragging rights!