How to Avoid the Last Minute Christmas Rush
Preparing for Christmas can be hectic: here are a few tips that can help you make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.
- Make a list. When it comes to giving gifts, Santa Claus got this one right. You don’t necessarily need to take tabs on who’s been naughty or nice, but making a comprehensive list of all the people you wish to give gifts to will ensure that you don’t miss anyone!
- Set a budget. Christmas is a time for generosity—but make sure you don’t overextend yourself. The best way to avoid overspending is to establish a budget before you actually begin shopping. (A strategy that applies equally well to grocery shopping, gift searching, and home buying!) Make your best guess as to how much you will be able and willing to spend this holiday season, and try to get a rough idea of how you will a lot that money.
- Research. This is an important and time consuming aspect of gift giving. Finding out what everyone on your list likes this year, and learning enough about the topic of their interest to find a good gift, are processes that take time. The earlier you start, the lower the chance you will find yourself in a crunch come the week before Christmas.
- Set priorities. Once you know what you will be getting everyone, it is usually a good idea to set priorities. (Assuming you won’t be doing your shopping in one mega-session, as some people enjoy doing.) In this case, delivery time is the number one factor to consider: items that take longer to arrive, will, obviously, need to be ordered soon than the rest.
- Fast Shipping – Yay or Nay? Is paying for accelerated shipping worth the extra dough? Virtually everyone you ask will have a different opinion on this topic. Of course, the earlier you order, the less crunch time will be—the grand lesson of this list is mainly to avoid procrastination!
- Gift Cards – Yay or nay? Another controversial subject with no clear answer. Gift cards are mighty convenient, and for that reason they oftentimes make great last-minute gifts. Even if you do have time to spare, you may feel like a gift card is a better way of enabling someone to get exactly the gift they want. At the same time, though, gift cards can seem less thoughtful and personalized. The answer to this question will most likely be to consider the person receiving it and your relationship to them. If you feel that a more sentimental gift is in order, then a gift card probably isn’t the way to go. If you want to give something pragmatic, on the other hand, a gift card is perfect. You may also find a middle-ground by giving a card for a place that is special for the person you’re buying it for. (Maybe give that foodie in your life a gift card to his favorite restaurant, or give that cyclist a gift card to the local bike shop that just opened up in her neighborhood.
For more great advice, visit the Blue Marble Properties blog today!