While Christmas is a season for spending a relaxing time with friends and loved ones, preparing for the holiday can quickly turn into a nightmare if you’re not ready for it. Before diving into the chaos of Christmas shopping, consider the following tips, which will ease your anxiety and stress and shorten the time commitment needed to get everything checked off your list.
Plan Ahead
Even if you have no intention of starting your shopping until December, you should start considering what you are going to get everyone on your list before then. If you know where you need to go and what you need to get beforehand, you will avoid the stress of trying to shop and deciding what to buy all at the same time. This will also keep you from over-spending on impulse buys, or things that you think will make gifts, but won’t end up giving when the actual time comes.
Embrace the Internet
If you are set on staying away from busy malls, or if you are too busy yourself to do so, shopping online is the way to go. A lot of the time, the prices are cheaper, too, so before you go to the book or music store, check places like Amazon.ca for pricing. Most online stores offer special discounts on shipping during the Christmas season, and they almost always make it clear when the cut-off date is to receive your purchases in time.
If you are really strapped for time, a lot of websites will even offer gift-wrapping for little or no extra charge. If you go with this option, your gifts will arrive ready to be put under the tree!
Avoid Peak Hours
If you do decide to venture to the mall, make sure that you are avoiding peak times and especially the weekends. If you can, try to make it to the mall during the day on a weekday, or better yet, right when stores open. Another good time to shop is right at dinnertime (5-7pm), when most people are still at home eating. If stores are open late, the later the better. Take advantage of the fact that many people are staying home with sleeping children and get out there to shop!
Take Company, Ask For Help
If you can, pair up with at least one friend and tackle your Christmas shopping together. Having someone to consult for opinions and chat with while waiting in long line-ups will lower your stress levels significantly. If you bring a friend, you will also be more likely to stop for coffee and relax between stores, rather than try to power through until you are completely burnt out. And don’t forget that you will have the freedom to run and grab something you may have forgotten without leaving the line-up. Use the buddy system to your advantage!
If you cannot get together with friends, exchange shopping lists with them instead. If you plan on spending most of your time at clothing stores, and your friend is spending most of his or her time shopping for music or DVDs, you can save a lot of time and stress by asking each other for help. One less stop for both of you will make scheduling shopping time easier.
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