Christmas shopping this year is set to be even more stressful than the years before it, with many people concerned about low stock, long shipping estimates, and an inability to get to the shops. If you want to minimize your Christmas shopping this year, here are some of the key steps that you can take to make sure that you get it right.
1. Donate Instead
Rather than spend December trawling around the shops looking for the perfect gift for a distant aunt or uncle, you should consider donating on their behalf instead. Not only will you be able to donate from the comfort of your own home, but this can also help you to buy the same gift for everyone indiscriminately. For instance, at The Red Cross, they allow you to combine your holiday giving with a gift to your family by providing you with a card or e-card to send to your relatives with your donation amount instead of a physical gift.
2. Avoid the Stores
The worst place to go if you want to avoid doing so much Christmas shopping is the mall. To make sure that you only get the necessities for your family, you should avoid the stores throughout the Christmas period, and only visit when the sales hit in January. This will prevent you from making spontaneous purchases and window shopping. Instead, you should do all your shopping online as this will help you to save time and to get exactly what you want.
3. Set a Budget
Many people shop until they drop in December, and this can quickly drain their bank accounts. To stop yourself from constantly splurging your hard-earned coins, you should set yourself a Christmas budget, and stop shopping when you surpass this. You should also visualize the amount that you are spending in terms of hours worked, as this can instantly encourage you to be more thrifty.
4. Block Adverts
One of the many temptations of the festive season comes in the form of online advertisements and pop-ups. These force us to view a range of products even when we are completing work or performing a quick Google search. Then, you should download an ad blocker onto your computer and change your social media and internet settings to help you to avoid getting your head turned by a persuasive marketing campaign.
5. Make a List and Plan
To prevent you from having to head to the mall over and over again, you should plan what you need ahead of time. This will ensure that you can look for exactly the gifts and supplies that you need in one trip, rather than having to return because you have forgotten something. You can do this by making a categorized list of everything that you need as soon as November hits. You should also ask relatives what they want so that you do not have to spend all of the season thinking about the perfect gift for them.
6. Shop Early
If you cannot minimize your Christmas shopping, why not spread it out over a couple of months, or even a year? From browsing the seasonal sales for the perfect gift to buying a few items here and there, the benefits of shopping early include reducing the chances of needing to do a big last-minute shop amid the festive crowds.
