Cut your Shopping Time in Half!

How to Shop Effeciently

Shopping for the Holidays is only as fun as you make it. Crossing people off your list is much more rewarding than wandering around the shopping mall for hours and leaving with nothing. So how do you decide what’s a good gift for the people in your life? You want it to be something special that you know he’ll like, but you also don’t want it to break the bank. Here are some pointers to make your holiday shopping experience a much more relaxing one.

Tip 1: Keep a List

At the end of this past Christmas, I paid close attention to those around me. I found that at the end of each Holiday a person takes inventory of their gifts, as well as compares what they wanted with what they got. This is a great time to get ideas for next year’s gifts. You really learn what a person wants as a gift when you see them taking inventory of everything. To make remembering that much easier, keep a notepad and a pen in your purse. That way whenever someone in your life mentions something they’d like as a gift, you can jot it down and save it for a more convenient time. With the lists I’ve started, I’ve filled a page for my dad, my boyfriend, my best friend, even my boyfriend’s parents! You can fill a page much faster than you think.

Tip 2: Keep your Eyes Open

Some of the greatest gifts I chose for this year I found in January, June and August. What I did was always kept my eyes open for something someone would like. If I saw something that made me think of a person on my list, I’d write it down as an option for their holiday gift. With the lists I’ve developed for my people, I’ll be done my shopping in no time.

Tip 3: Create a Budget

Before you start doing any of your holiday shopping, consider how much you want to spend. After you’ve calculated what you want your grand total to be, break it down into how much you’ll spend on each person. The easiest way I found is to create a spreadsheet on the computer. Then you can enter each gift, as well as how much you spent on it. At the bottom of the column, create a formula to calculate your running total, as well as the difference between your spending limit and your current amount spent. This shows you how much you have left to spend on this person. If you’re really handy with spreadsheets, you can even create a conditional formatting formula to make the cell bright red when you go over your limit.

Tip 4: Gift Wrap Pointers

Buy your gift wrap on Boxing Day. This is the time of year when wrapping paper, Christmas cards, tags, bows and bags are at their cheapest. Remember, if you snooze, you lose. LOTS of people need A LOT of wrapping paper, so it’s likely to go quickly. Last year I waited until the 27th to do my Boxing Day shopping, and there was no wrapping paper in sight.

When wrapping gifts, try to save paper - Measure twice, cut once. The more paper you save, the more scraps you’ll have left to wrap your stocking stuffers (which makes opening your stocking more time consuming – and overall more FUN!).

Tip 5: RELAX!

The holidays are a stressful time, so make sure you put some time aside for yourself. Curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate can be very beneficial in high stress situations. Make sure to make time for others too. The holidays are time for friends and family, so spending time with them is really what matters!

You are now being redirected to the AlgraShopping.com product page.

You are now being redirected to the GardenSuperMart.com product page.

Shop Online or Call: 1-866-476-6311
info@giftideassite.com

Gift Ideas Site.com

Shop by Recipient

Shop by Interest