TIPS FOR CHOOSING CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Christmas – a season of love, laughter and time with family and friends! Christmas – also a time to shop! While most women would drool over the latter, Christmas shopping isn’t a cakewalk. You have to take out time from your hectic schedule, prepare long shopping lists and brave crowds of people who inevitably leave their Christmas shopping for the last minute. Even if you go through all of the above, you are invariably left too tired and exhausted to actually enjoy Christmas day.
It need not be like this, though. With some careful planning and execution, it is possible to perform a ‘Christmas Miracle’ and complete all your Christmas shopping well in time for you to actually participate in and enjoy all the Christmas festivities.

TIPS TO BEAT THE CHRISTMAS RUSH AND END UP WITH GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS

 Prepare a List Well in Advance – Christmas shopping is the most hectic shopping spree of the year. Start by preparing a detailed list of all the people you need to buy gifts for. If possible, even include what exactly you would like to gift them, as this will save you even more time.
 Ask, don’t guess – If possible, ask people what they want for Christmas, instead of guessing what they might want. This will save you a lot of time in picking up the gift and also save you the trouble of returning or exchanging it, if it not something wanted. Try to make the gifts as personalized as possible, so it will mean even more to the person you are gifting it to.
 Decide your Budget – Christmas is one time where you would have to shop for virtually your entire family and friends. It is easy to go overboard in the spirit of Christmas and splurge, but it would be wiser to prepare a budget and stick to it.
 Plan your Work and Time Well in Advance – Christmas is the one time when everyone takes off early from office to complete their shopping in time. If you don’t wish to be stuck with work (either your own or someone else’s), plan your time properly. Be sure to complete all your work before time and communicate that you would not be available in the office for any additional work.
 Collect information on deals and discounts well in advance – Virtually all stores run offers and discounts at Christmas time. Collect all relevant information (flyers, information on the internet etc.) well in advance, so you know which stores to target, and hence save time and effort in the process.
 Beat the rush – Try to shop at times when the store would not be bulging with people (e.g. early mornings, late evenings). Stores usually extend their timings for Christmas shopping – find out the times and work out a time which won’t leave you feeling like you’ve just gone through a hurricane in the name of shopping!
Christmas is about being with family and friends. Plan properly so that you don’t end up spending Christmas in a store all by yourself!