10 Tips ForLast-Minute HolidayShoppers
Every year, you promise yourself you won’t wait untilthe last minute to do your holiday shopping, but once again, it’s the week before Christmas and you’ve gotten nary agift. Don’t panic! Before you go into a desperate shopping frenzy, check out these 10 tips for last-minute shoppers. You’ll find everything you need with time to spare, and nobody on your list willknow you procrastinated (again).
1. MAKE ALIST AND CHECK IT TWICE
One of the biggest traps of lastminuteshopping is going over budget. Before you brave any store, make alist of how much you’d like to spend on each person you are buyingfor, and stick to it.Resist the urge to keep shopping for the perfect gift, and leave the store as soon as you’ve crossed everyone off your list.
2. SET ATIME LIMIT
Retailers have afew tricks up their sleeves to get you to linger in their stores, suchasplaying catchy holiday music and scenting the air withpleasant holiday smells,
By Lindsay Hutton| Source:making it more likely you’ll buy something on impulse. To avoid this trap, make plans immediately following your shoppingtrip to limit the amount of time you spend in the mall. The less time you spend shopping means less temptation to overspend or impulse buy.
3. GET ONLINE
Most online retailers guarantee delivery up to afew days before Christmas, so skip the mall and shop online for your gifts instead. You can avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday crowds, and you can either ship your gifts right to the recipient, or have them sent to you.
4. GIVE GIFT CARDS
Virtually every retailer offers gift cards now, so forget the idea that plastic is an impersonal gift. After all, who wouldn’t wanttogo on ashopping spree at one of their favorite stores? To dress it up a little, add apersonal touch, such as amug with agift card to afavorite coffee shop, or agift card to abook store tucked into aclassic novel.
5. FOOD NEVER FAILS
The way to anyone’s heart is
through their stomach, right? If you’re awhiz of abaker, whipup abatch of your special cookies to give as gifts. If you want to give something tangible, wrap them up on apretty cookie platter or in a festive holiday tin.
6. GET CREATIVE
Do you have aspecial talent, such as painting, pottery-making, or photography? Or maybe you’re an expert on car repair, childcare services, or dog-walking? Create acoupon offering your service to be used in theweeks to come. It will takesome of the pressure off having to have agift in time for the holidays, and the recipient will love the thoughtfulness of your gesture.
7. SKIP THE CLOTHES
Clothes can be tough to get right even when you aren’t shopping in alast-minute frenzy. Do yourself afavor and skip the clothing department altogether. If someone on your list is afashionista, stick with agift certificate to her favorite store. To make her gift really special, offer to take her shopping for an item of her choiceand then treat her to lunch or dinner at a favorite restaurant.
8. SHOP ON CHRISTMAS EVE
We know waiting untilthe day before Christmas to shop sounds like aterrible idea. But thinkofitthis way most people are finished by Christmas Eve, meaning the malls will be less crowded, allowing you to shop without having to fight hoards of other panicky procrastinators.
9. KNOW WHEN TO STOP
Once you’ve bought for everyone on your list,stop shopping. It sounds simple enough, but often times, the urge to find the perfect gift compels anxious shoppers to keep going. Just becauseyour gift is last-minutedoes not mean it’s inadequate!
10. REGIFT
If it’s come down to the wire and you’re really in abind, considering regifting as alast resort. Just make sureyour gift doesn’t fall into the hands of someone who might find out your secret or worse intothe hands of the person who originally gave it to you!
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