Shopping Do’s and Don’ts for the Holidays

Do:

Shop early, as early as possible and pick up small things all during the pre-winter months that are on sale after Christmas that would make a great gift for a co-worker or extended family.

Take advantage of the sales going on post-Thanksgiving pre-Christmas because lots of times you get freebies depending on how much you spend, and those freebies could also make great stocking stuffers or extras for co-workers and extended fam and friends.

Make a list of everyone you intend to buy for grouping them in the must buy to might buy categories. If your name isnt Ebenezer Scrooge that is… Prepare a budget based on what you think they might like and write down that spending limit along with three possible gift ideas next to their name.

Shop online because holiday buying at the mall can be a nightmare and often times they don’t have what you are looking for. Also there are always great rates in shipping going on, so take advantage of it. Ebay, Walmart.com, Target.com and Amazon all have ways to discount shipping on anything from toys, games, movies and rare and collectible items.

Get the Sunday paper every Sunday for the next three months if you don’t already. Coupons, on-the-low advertised sales and such are all in there. Trust me.

When you can’t think of what to get em, go personal. Some of the simplest things that you think a person would never go for become so much cooler when they are personalized. A robe, a bracelet, a hat, a cell phone case. Get these items personalized for a little extra, it goes a long way.

When all else fails: GIFT CARDS! Yes, that’s right, I said it. GIFT CARDS, or Visa Money Cards are so appropriate for the so hard to buy for person. Walgreens and CVS sell gift cards to tons of different stores and restaurants. You can find cards for everything from Best Buy, Fandango, Olive Garden, Ashley Stewart, the list goes on!

If you’re a little crafty…nothing says I love you like something you have made yourself. Gift baskets are majorly easy to assemble (just think classier Easter Baskets) and you can PERSONALIZE them with some of your friend, family member, or significant others’ fave stuff. You can buy wicker or tin baskets in various sizes at a local craft store or a Wal-Mart and all the trimmings, then shop until you drop for at least ten items that will let the giftee know that you are in tune with them. Nothing says Happy Holidays’ like a basket full of goodies you KNOW they’ll love.

Don’t:

Re-gift, if you can help it. Make sure it’s not something that was given to you by an acquaintance that is in a mutual friendship with any of your other friends if you all live locally. Trust me, eventually they will know.

Shop at the last minute. Aside from being dreadfully worn out and ready to slug a few fellow last minute shoppers. You will almost never be able to find what you are looking for.

Ask the people you are getting gifts for what they want for Christmas, unless it is your child or significant other. The magic in the holiday lies in the element of surprise. Why do you think grab bags and Secret Santa are so popular?

Please don’t go into debt trying to buy the most extravagant things for everyone. Christmas, although very special and heartwarming, should not cause you to be on the edge of eviction or repossession. Don’t ring up bills for the sake of jingle bells if you know you are going to be up to your ears in debt after the holidays. Don’t forget the economy keeps on moving even after the holidays.

Forget what Christmas is all about. If you are fortunate enough to give to others who have, don’t forget to give to others who don’t have anything. Even if it’s not material, the smallest act of kindness can go a very long way.

Please don’t just buy for the babies. If you have friends that have children that are under three years old, you may want to go all out and buy them the cutest little gadgets and toys, but don’t forget about the parents who you are friends with, after all, once they have a child, it will no longer be about them and a lot of times they get passed over. (Ladies, this goes for baby showers too, all too often the baby gets showered and the mommie is treated like the incubator, buy a little something for mommie too, her life will be new once her new life arrives.)

Don’t feel bad if someone buys you something and they weren’t on your list. I’m sure if we all had the resources we would try to give gifts to all of our friends, family, and co-workers if we could. But since we can’t we really have to pick and choose. Choose who you will buy for not based on whether or not you will get something from them, but where they are in your life. Immediate family, very close friends who you are in contact with or just reconnected with on a regular basis should make the list as well as supervisors or bosses at your job. Even those little extras that you may have acquired during shopping can help extend your must buy list a little bit. In short, if someone who you didn’t expect bought you a gift with the intention of expecting something back, then they are not giving for the right reasons.

I wrote this because I find that during the holidays a lot of people don’t know where to begin when it comes to shopping for the holidays. The biggest worry is having the money to spend, who to spend it on, and what to get. I hope I helped to answer those questions a little bit. If you have any input then please leave a comment. I would like to turn this short article in to my job newsletter. Thanks and Happy Holidays! – Taleia

P.S. My pooh gave me a key to his house. That’s moving a step up right? LOL Maybe Virgos and Leos aren’t that bad together after all…