Sandy's Guide to Surviving Holiday Shopping
^^ Watch the video here ^^
Hey there people,
Are you into the holiday spirit yet? It seems like decorations are fly up so fast. I am spending the weekend with my family getting the house decked out for Christmas. We really go all out, as I am sure you could all guess after Halloween. And you know what… around this time of year sometimes I get really stressed out about gift giving. How many of you also feel that way? Well I have some tips for you that I know you will love about shopping for the holidays, then next week we will dive into some other stress factors of the holiday season.
Yes yes yes… what is the big hairy deal about buying presents? Is it the money? The pressure to find the perfect gift? The general stressed out environment of stores around the Holidays? Well get ready, because here is my survival guide:
Plan without a Plan. Yes, make that shopping list. Think about who wants what... but then make sure you take some time to put the list away and just be inspired. Maybe that perfect gift will just go BAM! And jump right out at you.
Manage your time. When you shop with your peeps do you actually get things? Or do you just try on some stuff and have a great time? No judgement here! Just know what you're in for and handle your time effectively.
How do you shop? Do you get an adrenaline rush from Black Friday? Could you scroll for hours through amazon? Minimize holiday shopping stress by shopping in the way that makes you the most comfortable.
Manage your Money. Set aside a budget for your gifts, and splurge when you think it’s necessary, but go smaller when you think it’s not.
- You could even do something a little different this year if your family is on board… Here is a quote from expert finance blogger, Chris Peach. You can check Chris out on his blog, the Money Peach (http://www.moneypeach.com/) He is so fun and full of great advice! And the best part his, he is just a normal guy who learned all about finances from personal experience. How cool is that?
“Before you go out and shop for everyone this year, create a plan that fits within your budget and the holiday spirit. When we were taking back control over our money, we asked our family to do a gift exchange where we anonymously drew one name, and we only had buy for that one person. Since we started this five years ago, the stress of overspending and buying for everyone transformed into the excitement of choosing one special gift and then revealing who each one of us had shopped for over the past few weeks. This year I have my 84-year old grandmother and I of course have no idea who has me!”
5. And if you don’t have a lot of extra money to put into gift giving, get creative. Look up some funky DIY projects on Pinterest, or ask your creatively-inclined friends. Don’t be scared to break out those markers and glue! It is the thought that counts after all.
Stay calm my friends and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Here’s to having a guilt-free holiday season!
-SJW