5 Tips for Last-Minute Holiday Shoppers

Do you remember what a nightmare last year’s holiday shopping was? The parking. The crowds. Guzzling coffee at 2am so you could get all your presents wrapped in time. Okay, before you have an anxiety attack, here are some tips to give you an edge over all the other frantic shoppers out there.

The Three Ws of Holiday Shopping

Whose gifts need to be mailed out? Who will I see in person? Who can wait until after the holidays? Shop online for your far away friends and family and let the store send out the gifts so you don’t have to stress over going to the post office. As for the people you’ll see in person, well, there’s no getting around hitting the stores for them. However, for the ones you won’t see right away, that’s what post-holiday sales are for.

There is No Perfect Gift

Stop trying to find the perfect pink Angora sweater for Aunt Sally. If you try to find “the perfect gift” for everyone on your list, you’ll run around in circles chasing your own shopping bags. Buy gifts that are thoughtful, yet practical. If Aunt Sally has a favorite store, get her a gift card and let her pick out her own sweater. She’ll appreciate the opportunity to go on a guilt-free shopping trip on your dime and you won’t put yourself into so much debt you end up needing Mobiloans to bail you out.

Parking

You know that great parking spot that is right in front of the store? Fuhgeddaboudit. Drive straight to the back of the lot and park as quickly as you can. Walking is good for you and you’ll be a lot less stressed if you don’t spend a half hour just trying to park the car. If you plan on hitting multiple stores, you’ll save yourself hours of time if you take the first spot you can find.

Shop at Odd Hours

After a grueling eight hour day at work, do you really want get stuck in mall traffic and fight your way through the crowds? Try to squeeze in some shopping on your lunch break or go in the early morning. Use one of those vacation days you’ve been saving and try to hit the stores early before the post-work masses hit. Shopping will be a lot less agonizing if you’re not already worn out before you start.

Children

If you have kids of your own, you probably already have a mile long list of what they want. What about your friends and families’ children? What do you get them? The answer is cash Most children over eight know the value of money and how to spend it. Don’t try to figure out what kind of toys they like or what clothes they need. They’ll be just as happy to get their eager little hands on a card stuffed with cash as they would be opening a new toy.

The key thing to remember is that it is your holiday season too. Don’t let shopping ruin the fun of it. Use these tips to cut down on your holiday shopping stress to that you can do what’s really important; enjoy spending time with your loved ones.