Start Early: Holiday Shopping Made Easy

The holiday season is one of my absolute favorite times of year. I love the cheerful and festive nature of all the events of this season of giving. I know some people who start their Christmas shopping in July, but quite frankly I’m not ready to start thinking about Christmas until at least Halloween has passed. There is a lot of pressure this time of year to buy gifts for all those important people in your life which I’ve found leads to more stress than necessary due to 1) uncertainty about what to get/who you should buy for and 2) the financial burden that comes with gifting. The holidays are so commercialized that it is easy to forget why this is the season of giving after all. As long as you don’t lose sight of what you’re celebrating this year and follow these simple tips, this season will surely be the joyous one that it should be!

1. Start early // It’s never too early to start thinking about gifts. Even though it’s only the first week of November, this time of year is so busy with family gatherings, social events and year end tasks. There are less than two months until Christmas, and that time is sure to fly by.
2. Make a list // Write down anyone and everyone that you would like to give a a gift, no matter how small. Think: family, friends, significant others, coworkers, etc. Then, write down anyone who might give you a gift you hadn’t originally thought about – you don’t want to be unable to reciprocate in the event that this happens. (I always like to have a few back up gifts, like a box of chocolates or some nicely packaged baked goods, that I can easily tie a ribbon on and they are good-to-go!)
3. Organize a Secret Santa or Yankee Swap // Do you and your friends normally organize a Secret Santa so that each of you only is responsible for purchasing one gift? Does your office normally hold a Yankee Swap to take the pressure off gifting in the office? This is a good time to think about whether or not that is likely to happen and what the spending limit is. Or, organize one among friends!
4. Set a budget // Set an overall budget for the holiday season, and then break it down further by setting a budget for each person on your list. Depending on how close you are with certain people you may want to increase or decrease your budget.
5. Brainstorm // Over the next couple of weeks, start to think about a few gift options for each person within their set budget. Write down ideas as they come to you (I like to keep a note in my phone) so you don’t forget. This will make it so much easier to pick something out when you’re out and about or shopping online. Also, keeping your list in the back of your mind will help you associate good gift ideas as you see them.
6. Take advantage of sales // Just because you’ve made your list doesn’t mean you have to go out and shop right away. The whole point of starting the shopping process early is to take advantage of sales as they come up. Try to have your lists and budgets ready by Thanksgiving so you can be ready for those Black Friday (if you’re brave enough to actually venture to the stores) and Cyber Monday deals! This is a great way to get that perfect gift for someone, even if it might normally be a little bit outside of your set budget.

I’ll be keeping a close eye on all the sales that I think will be beneficial for you and sharing the details here all along the way. As long as you stay ahead of the game, you’ll surely be able to enjoy the holiday season for all the right reasons.

I’ve also recently downloaded this app, which is super fun and extremely helpful for budgeting and tracking gift ideas. Also, it has a countdown to Christmas, which is, of course, absolutely necessary.

Cheers to the start of a very happy holiday season!
xo -L