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 November 10th 2008
 Health & Lifestyle
 4 comments
Christmas will soon be upon us again and even though it’s early November my wife and I are already looking at shopping for presents. Every year it ends up being the same process; we get too many gifts, spend too much money and general get overwhelmed by the whole process… trying to buy presents for dozens of people can do that to you. But not this year! I’ve got a plan and in this post I’ll detail my stress-free suggestions on buying presents.
- Who are you buying for?
Work out exactly who you are going to be buying presents for, who is going to get a card and who will simply be ignored. On Christmas eve, you don’t want to suddenly remember somebody who needs a present.
- Set a budget
When you are buying presents over a period of time then it is very easy to lose track of how much you’ve spent. Have a clear idea of how much money you want to put in. In fact you can go so far as to set mini-budgets for each person you will be buying presents for (£20 for a friend, £40 for family members, and so on). This will stop you getting carried away or worrying about spending more money on one person than another.
- What presents are you getting?
Though it can be difficult to have a clear plan of what you getting people until you see an item in the shop, it’s incredibly helpful if you do a little research beforehand. This will stop any idle browsing and give you a little focus so you’re not struggling along with other frantic Christmas shoppers.
- Keep track of what you’ve bought
I know people who buy potential gifts on a whim, thinking they will make good presents for somebody. After all, it is hard trying to find a gift that is appropriate, so it makes sense to buy something when you come across it… even if it is only July. However, most of the time these gifts get lost or forgotten about. Remember, you’ve got to find storage for them all, so keep track of what you’ve bought and who is getting it.
- Avoid buying lots of little presents
Try not to spend a person’s present budget on lots of little gifts. It makes it harder to keep track of what you’ve got, you will have to spend more time shopping around and you will have more to wrap. One big present is likely to be more practical and useful to someone than loads of gimmicky items.
- Start your shopping early
Finally, the golden rule. Don’t whatever you do leave you shopping to the last minute. A packed out high street is not fun. If you can, get it off the internet (some sites will even wrap the gift for you). Get your present shopping out of the way early so you can really enjoy Christmas!
Reader discussion
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Great tips. I would put the early tip in first place, as I think most of the problems come when you are late, especially when you are last in shopping malls when is already a big mess and most of the good products have gone. That makes you anxious and the quality of your shopping will decrease.
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Thanks for the comment George. I believe festive shopping can be a great part of Christmas. The goodwill, the decorations in all the shops… Unfortunately, because we don’t do any planning beforehand it’s difficult to appreciate it.
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Very reasonable guidelines, James. It really pays to be prepared, I’ve got a little index card where I write down ideas for gifts beside the names. Very handy. Most of the time, all you need to do is just listen what people tell you throughout the year and you’ll stumble across many ideas for presents. Jot them down in time, then you’ll have them when you need them.
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These are great tips. I usually do my shopping in advance and most of it online. I make a list with everyone’s name, my total budget and some ideas for gifts. If you think about that person and what they like to do, it isn’t too hard to come with an idea that is affordable. Magazine subscriptions are usually a good deal. People love them and it’s like getting a gift every month.
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