It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Christmas is only 24 days away and with the holiday season here, shopping is going to be hectic. In order to make your life simple, here are some tips on shopping for your family and friends!
Tip #1: Plan everything out early.
Make a list of what people have asked for and plan out when and where you’ll be shopping. On the day you plan to shop, plan out the stores you will be hitting and try to create the best route to get to each store so that it doesn’ take you all day in the stores and on the road.
Tip #2:DIY some things.
Fortunately for us, some people enjoy presents that have been handcrafted. If a family member or friend asks for something simple like a scarf, try making it! Or, if you want to decorate you house, apartment, etc., there are countless tutorials online, on Pinterest and on YouTube for DIY home decors.
Tip #3: Don’t buy cheap.
Don’t buy cheap, but don’t go out of your way to buy something extremely expensive, either. (You’re a college student for goodness sakes.) Try your best to pay that extra “X” amount of dollars – this is the time to give after all. But, if what a person wants is overly (unnecessarily) expensive, let them know in a nice way that they may have to wait on the gift or you really don’t have the funds for it this year.
Tip #4: Don’t wait til the last minute!
Waiting to go Christmas shopping is the worst!!! I adds extra pressure on you to find that “perfect gift” for said person. It’s a hassle for everyone: you, the other people shopping last minute, and the workers in the stores. Especially the workers. You ever go into a store around the holidays, and even though it’s a cheerful time, they look tired and depressed? Help them have a good holiday this year by shopping early!
Tip #5: Last but not least – budget, budget, BUDGET! (This tip kind of goes along with the first one.)
This just so happens to be the time of year when stores decide to jack the prices up to the max. It’s terrible, but c’est la vie, right? If you’ve planned ahead of time what you’re buy everyone, the next step is researching the prices. Figure out who has the better price, and quality, of the present. This is also a really competitive season for stores, so some might bring the price down to get more clientele. Unless it’s something that one-of-a-kind, never get the first one you see. It may be $20 less at the store down the street, or even $30 less at the store in the next town over.
*Just a reminder: Don’t forget what Christmas is about. Gifts are nice and everything, but try to remember the real reason that we celebrate it! Happy shopping!*