By Jackie Leffner
The holiday shopping season is here, and that means now is when so many of us start thinking about gift giving. How long is your list? Family members? Friends? Teachers? Coaches? When does the list end? It is important to remember the true reason for the holidays, of course, but gift giving is a part of many traditions. Whether you are shopping for 1 or 100 people it is important to stay organized with the shopping process, so you are all set and ready to go when the holiday officially arrives. We have compiled a few helpful tips for an organized and stress-free holiday shopping experience:
- Write a List and Check It Twice
Lists are a fantastic way to stay organized during this season. This may sound simple, but the hard part is checking it twice and sticking to it. First things first, get out a piece of paper and write down every person’s name and list out a bunch of ideas for what gifts you might get them. Not that you are going to get them EVERYTHING on that list – but sometimes we find that producing ideas is the hardest part. The second part of this is making sure it is accessible – so if you do it on pen and paper – make sure you grab it before you go shopping. If you prefer electronics, google spreadsheets or a note on your phone are also great options. This will make it so that you can add gift ideas but also keep track once you have bought gifts for different people.
- Know Your Budget… and Even Better… Stick to it.
Often, we find that we love to be generous when it comes to holiday gifts – even when it can put pressure on your wallet. So, set a budget for the holiday season and stick to it. Trust us, when your credit card statement comes in January, you will be glad you did. You could even do your best to come in under budget by using online promotional codes, exclusive discounts, or social media follower codes.
- Set Your Online Shopping Deadline Now
The worst notification ever is that your shipping is delayed and now your gift will not be here by the celebration time. We suggest ordering anything online by the first week of December. Although some companies will do “guaranteed shipping” after that – it could be delayed, and we do not want that to impact your holiday season.
- Put Love into Each Gift
By following all these tips and staying organized, you will have the ability to truly put a lot of thought into each gift, so your loved ones know how much you care. You will have time to get gifts monogrammed, do special wrapping, or add that small personal thought that makes them know that you care about them. Too often we find people scrambling at the last minute to shop for the holidays and run around local department stores buying random gifts, so they do not show up empty handed. With our organizational systems, you will not have to have that stress.
- Wrap as You Shop.
As soon as you buy a gift, come home, and set aside a few minutes to wrap it. If you leave all the gift wrapping for the night before, or day of the event you will end up being stressed and rushing through the wrapping process. By doing a little bit at a time, you will not feel stressed towards the end of the month when you have a giant pile of presents to wrap.
We also like to remind people to have fun with the wrapping. You can write a thoughtful message, try a new wrapping technique, add a fun drawing on top. These small touches will really make your gift stand out and be extra meaningful.
Now, this is not necessarily an “organizational tip” but just a friendly reminder to ENJOY THE SEASON. The holiday season can be a hectic time for many, so we are hoping with our tips above it can help to make it less stressful (or stress-free). If you are needing help with organizing your present wrapping station, decluttering before you buy, or organizing the gifts you have already bought, give us a call to schedule your complimentary consultation call today! We would love to help make sure you are having a joyful, stress-free holiday season.
