Christmas Shopping for Dummies

Christmas is meant to be the happiest time of the year, right? So why is everyone so stressed out about that one day appearing closer and closer on their calendar? There is an ever increasing pressure on society to spend an ever increasing amount of those precious paper rectangles in people’s wallets, to buy Christmas gifts for friends and family. Heck, many have even switched religions to avoid the annihilation of their bank accounts. Even more traumatic are the blank thoughts on what to buy the people on your list. The stress of Christmas shopping can be dreadful, and utterly stressful. But have no fear! This guide here will prevent that stress from seeping into the most enjoyable part of the year!

Where do I even start? So, you already know who you need to buy for, but you have no idea what to buy them. Start by making a list. Make a list of every person you want to endow with a Christmas gift. Under each person’s name, write down as many characteristics about that person as you can, including their hobbies, passions, and interests. Then, write down as many gift ideas as possible for each person, based on these traits. For example, if your sister is a diehard Green Day fan, buy her the band’s new album, which is expected to be released on December 11th this year. Also, are there any things that person complains about? Like, if your dad complains about how he always misplaces his keys before work, get him a key rack, so they will stay in one place!

How can I save money? Now that you know the specific products to buy, there are many ways to save money when buying them. Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) are two of the biggest shopping days out of the year. They can save you hundreds of dollars, depending on what you buy, of course. Mostly, sales are focused on expensive electronics. If you would like to avoid the pressure of buying all your Christmas gifts on these specific days, or getting trampled in a shopping frenzy, I recommend ordering gifts online. Most products are cheaper online than in stores. Amazon is a great resource for online purchases. It is easy to use, and most of their products qualify for “Free Super Saver Shipping.” This means that if you spend $25 or more on these eligible goods, shipping is free for your entire order. Although Amazon is extremely convenient, it is not intended for last-minute Christmas shopping. As it states on their website, allow at least 3-5 business days for your order to arrive.

Although the focus of this guide is Christmas shopping, you do not necessarily have to buy gifts; you can make them! In fact, some people may prefer a homemade gift more than a store-bought one. Take your grandmother, for example. Do you think she would favor an ordinary pair of earrings from JCPenney? Or a personal pair of earrings beaded with her favorite colors, created from your very own hands? The more personal the gift, the more thankful the recipient. In the long run, homemade gifts will save you money, but you will have to purchase supplies for the gift if you do not already have them.

Should I have a planned budget? If you would like to preserve your wallet, you should definitely have a planned budget when shopping, no matter what time of the year it is. Not having a budget when you walk into a mall is a scary thought. I suggest creating specific budgets for all of the people you intend to buy for. How close you are to that person will affect how much you will spend on them. For example, you might constrict immediate family members’ gifts to a maximum of $25 each, while extended family and friends might each get a budget of $10. I try to stay within $5 of my budgets, to give each person an equally awesome gift.

With these tips, you should be able to finish shopping with at least a month to spare before Christmas. That gives you enough time to frost sugar cookies, go ice skating, decorate gingerbread houses, read a novel by the fireplace, watch some Christmas classics, ride in a one horse open sleigh, make snow angels, etc etc. You get the gist. That being said, hurry up and get your holiday shopping done! Oh, and of course, have a merry Christmas!