By now most kids will have written their letter to Santa…and Santa’s helpers are either relieved and organised, or in a panic!
In case you haven’t noticed – I’m a shopper – and I love it! The challenge of finding a gift that is special and means something to the person receiving it is something I live for…and I’m pretty good at it too!
Having said that – it takes planning, which is another thing I’m good at (I promise this post isn’t all about things I’m good at…) – so here are my top tips for gift buying this Christmas:
1. Make a list
Seems logical right? But if you go out into the shopping world at this time of year, it is inevitable that you will become frustrated by the lack of parking, the sizeable queues and the noise! I like to list the names of those I’m buying for as well as a suggested gift.
2. Set a spend limit – per person
Just because you have a limit doesn’t mean you have to use it, but it gives you somewhere to start. I often find goods with a higher value that are on sale, but this allows me to spend a little more on other areas and I still don’t blow the budget!
3. Read the “Junk Mail”
At this time of year I like to read the multitude of catalogues that appear in my letterbox – they give me great ideas for gifts, and have been known to assist in keeping to my budget! I have a number of kids on my list (see tip 1 above), and I’ve managed to score a few bargains by taking note of the junk mail.
4. Don’t rush
I mentioned last week that I wasn’t organised for Christmas this year – but all of that changed on Sunday afternoon…you see I put aside the whole afternoon to write my list, set my budget…and I then went wandering – the amazing thing for me is that I wasn’t in a rush and have now accomplished about 75% of my Christmas shopping! So take advantage of the longer trading hours at most stores this week, and remember that the deadline for online shopping with most retailers is fast approaching.
Anyone else have gift buying tips they’d like to share?
PS If your budget allows, please remember a gift to place under a “wishing tree” or leave with a non-profit organisation of your choice, thankyou xo
Regards
