Christmas Shopping Tips That Will Keep You Sane

November 7, 2008 · Filed Under , · 9 Comments 

I am posting this now because one of my best tips is to shop early, and don’t procrastinate. The old me would have posted this on December 22nd. Not this year baby! Here are some shopping tips that have worked well for my wife and I the past few years.

  • Shop Early! - I don’t mean at 5 a.m. either. I mean like right now! 2 reasons: You won’t have to catch a taxi from your parking spot to the mall entrance, and you won’t have to cuss under your breath when trying to buy your Dad a shirt and only finding XS and XXXXXL sizes.
  • Set Up a Budget – Avoid the January credit card bill blues and figure out how much you can afford to spend for the people on your gift buying list. Stick to your budget like white on rice!
  • Shop Online - Perhaps my favorite tip.  :-) Price comparison websites and online coupons make this tip a no brainer. Not to mention the fact that you can shop in your undies, with a cup of Joe, on a Sunday morning.
  • Shop When (Almost) Nobody Else Is! – Many stores will have extended shopping hours after Thanksgiving. Take advantage when possible. A lot of stores will actually stay open until midnight. The few times that I have done this over the years I have always been amazed at how much easier it is to shop when the stores aren’t crowded. Go around 10 – 11 pm on a weeknight for best results.
  • Look For Deals – Darn near everything will go on sale at some point between now and the middle of December. Keep an eye on store circulars for the correct time to make your move. But before you buy, see if you can find a coupon to sweeten the deal even more.
  • Keep Those Receipts – You never know when you may need them. Buy the wrong size or perhaps the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots you bought for your nephew doesn’t work on Christmas morning, you have your receipt at the ready.

Give me your best tip! Looking forward to your comments.

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Comments

9 Responses to “Christmas Shopping Tips That Will Keep You Sane”

  1. Jenny on November 7th, 2008 1:37 pm

    Good idea! I always seem to buy toys in September because that’s when the sales seem to happen.
    I buy a lot online when I can get free shipping too and that way I avoid the mall. That’s my main goal every holiday season- avoiding the mall.

  2. Kyle on November 7th, 2008 3:49 pm

    Agreed Jenny. Free shipping is such a GREAT thing for my wife and I! I actually plan on doing all my shopping this year from my office computer. We will see if I can pull it off or not.

  3. Kaye on November 7th, 2008 10:08 pm

    You are so right about shopping early. This week I spotted great sales on Christmas decorations at Rite Aid. I was also able to purchase supplies to make Christmas decorations and gifts with my grandkids at Joann’s Fabrics for 40% off AND even got a coupon for 50% off one item the following week! Definitely time to be watching those sale ads in the Sunday paper!
    Kaye

  4. Courtney on November 11th, 2008 12:27 am

    Wow! I love this advice! I’ve saved hundreds each year shopping the clearance and 50-70% off discounts on Amazon. Throw in Free shipping – and this year they have a gift tracker when you place your order… done! One year I was so sure that the deals couldn’t be true, so I kept stuff in my online “cart” and watched in horror as the prices climbed faster with each week the holidays approached. Also, when you shop early – it’s easier to wrap and prepare once the goodies are delivered! Have fun!

  5. Andrew on November 11th, 2008 12:17 pm

    Good tips, Kyle. Plus with Veteran’s Day weekend, there are already a ton of huge sales going on right now, particularly a million Friends & Family sales!

    Besides saving receipts, you should also try to get gift receipts with every purchase to make life easier. And making a list BEFORE you go out shopping, will really help control your spending, so you won’t feel tempted (well, I should say AS tempted) to buy anything and everything in site.

  6. Kyle on November 11th, 2008 2:00 pm

    Hey Andrew, yeah the Friends & Family coupons are great aren’t they? Too bad they only last a few days.

  7. Jennifer Melnick Carota on November 16th, 2008 12:48 pm

    Excellent advice, Kyle! I always suggest keeping a seperate shopping wallet where you can keep your budgeted cash, coupons, lists and receipts. This is an awesome strategy that can be used all year long if you plan ahead a little! Let the holiday giving season begin!!!

  8. Chelsea on November 17th, 2008 12:27 pm

    Hi all,

    Not to add to the confusion at all, but also, GIFT BASKETS are a great idea for the holidays as well! And when you can customize them to your budget and make sure they are not the same old “cheese and fruit” ones, too! They then make great (and big) gifts, for those both far away, and next door!

    Elite Occasions in Washington DC offers 100% customizable baskets…and our idea, (as I am realitivly new to this position) is to “think outside the basket!”. So we have come up with some great gifts this holiday season, that are useful, creative and tasty, that I think any family member, college student, friend or co-worker would love!

    Check us out and let me know what you think! Mention this blog and get a Holiday Blogging Discount!

    Hope to hear from you!

    Chelsea
    202.342.2111
    http://www.eliteoccasions.com

  9. Joncravefit on October 30th, 2009 2:26 pm

    Great ideas, not to mention it is becoming so much easier to get everything done through the great internet, amazon is a great place to find some killer deals on pretty much everything you may be looking for, thanks for the post

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