It may only be the first week of December, but the Christmas season is well underway. For many of us, that means endless decorating, present-wrapping, and yuletide baking. Oh, yeah, and there’s that whole thing of trying to find the perfect gift—which, let’s face it, can be a bit stressful.
Okay, it can be really stressful.
But hey, no one ever said that spreading holiday cheer was going to be easy. So, we naturally proceed to make lists of everyone we have to buy for, from family and friends, to the ever-dreaded Secret Santa recipient. And then actually figuring out what to buy these people is a challenge in and of itself. We’ve all heard the infamous: “I don’t want anything.” Uh, huh. Sure they don’t.
Thankfully, Christmas shopping isn’t quite as dreadful as we all make it out to be. Plus, it all seems to be worth enduring the blood, sweat and tears when a loved one opens his or her present on Christmas morning. He/she is happy, and you feel like a total boss because you just owned the family gift exchange.
It’s just getting to that point that presents a challenge—especially for us collegiates! We have plenty of other things to worry about—like finals week, aka the Hunger Games. But hey, if you can write three essays and complete fifty multiple choice questions in under two hours, then Christmas shopping should be an absolute breeze for you!
Just follow these tips and you’ll be sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list—even those hard to buy for Scrooges!
1. Save Time: Buy Online! Sometimes the Internet seems like the root of all evil—especially when it comes to sketchy college wifi. But trust me, when it comes to Christmas shopping, the Internet will be your best friend. If you’re clueless as to what to buy, the web provides a plethora of starting points for gift ideas. Pinterest and Etsy are both great places to start, in this case. Not only do you get a general idea of what to buy, you can also purchase directly from Etsy and navigate through the links on Pinterest to find potential purchases. If you know what you want, finding the perfect gift can be as simple as pushing a button. And then, one by one, you can cross the names off of your list. And it’s much more efficient than going on some wild goose-chase at the nearest mall or shopping center. That’s just too much of a struggle, am I right?
2. DCY (Do-Christmas-Yourself): Homemade gifts are a great solution for close friends, family members, or significant others. Not only does it have the cheese factor of showing that you care, it also saves you tons of money in the long-run. Arm-knitted scarves are a perfect gift for gal pals, mothers, aunts, and so on. They only take about a half-hour to make, and the cost of yarn is minimal compared to what you’d pay for a premade scarf at American Eagle or H&M. Made-from-scratch goodies are great gifts for the hard to buy for guys in your life. Let’s face it, they hardly ever turn down food—and they’ll love you forever for feeding them.
3. TheMoreYouKnow. The I-Don’t-Want-Anything-ers are without a doubt the hardest people to buy for—especially if you don’t know them very well! So, what can you do? The solution is actually pretty simple: just listen. Listen to them when they talk about their interests and/or products that they like. And if they don’t, just bring it up in conversation. Try complimenting them on something they’re wearing, ask what brand it is or where they got it, and ask if they like shopping there. Then you’ll know where to look!
Tis the season to be jolly! So get a jump-start on your Christmas shopping so that you can enjoy the rest of the holidays! And may the sales be ever in your favor.