FEATURE: How to take the stress out of holiday shopping

Holiday shopping can be the worst when it comes to creating stress.

We all feel so much pressure to get just the right gift for friends and family.

We rush around, battling the retail crowds, trying to get the last of the one thing that we believe will satisfy them.

We’re not always successfully either!

Considering the holiday period is supposed to be relaxing and joyful, it’s often the complete opposite of that.

If you’re feeling stressed during these holidays, here are some ways to avoid it.

Shop Online for Gift Ideas
When you’re struggling with gift ideas because you’ve run out of them or the desired item was out of stock, try Upgraded Reviews.

Their site covers many unusual gifting categories and products that you may not have thought of on your own.

Shopping online is an excellent way to avoid the crowds.

There are no difficult parking spots to find or opening hours to worry about, and the current stock level is a known factor.

This makes it less frustrating or disappointing than retail shopping.

Set Reasonable Expectations
We may feel roped into purchasing gifts for extended family or distant friends. Continuing to do this adds to the workload in gift buying.

Then it needs to be sent to them or you’ll need to visit them personally, which means another trip during the holidays.

At a certain point, it may be necessary to simplify gift giving by keeping it restricted to close family.

In which case, send a note to extended family members to ask to skip gift-giving this year and just exchange greeting cards.

You may find that they’re somewhat relieved because it’s a reduced financial burden on them too.

Deliberately Increase Happiness
Use a gift-giving organizer like Giftster that lets the family list the gifts they’d like to receive.

Other family members can then pick what they’re going to purchase.

This process is simple to do and avoids receiving unwanted gifts. Also, everyone is free to choose those that match what they can afford to spend.

Doing it this way is easier after the holidays too.

There are no returns to worry about other than with products that arrived with the wrong item inside the box or were sized too large/small, etc.

Budget Better for Gift Giving to Avoid Financial Stress
Many people considerably overspend during the holidays and then suffer from balances sitting on their credit cards for months afterward.

Then the cost only increases with interest compounding up too.

Avoid not having a budget for gifts or failing to plan it out properly.

A proper plan includes listing the names of all the people that you’ll purchase gifts for, plus extras such as greeting cards, wrapping, decorative bows, etc. Then add a realistic amount for each purchase.

Also, we’d suggest looking up the prices for things that you’re considering purchasing.

If there is a delivery fee, include that too. Don’t guess on gift costs, because it’ll make the budget estimate too easy to exceed due to inaccuracies.

Don’t Leave the Shopping Too Late
One of the worst things you can do is leave gift shopping until the last possible minute.

Doing this becomes a yearly habit and one that’s important to break.

Additional stress is caused when doing this not just because you’re cramming several weeks of slow and careful gift shopping into a day or two, but also as most items will be out of stock by that point – then you’re left scrambling for the next best thing.

By putting in a bit of planning, avoiding overspending, and not leaving it too late, the holidays can be far less stress-inducing than is normal this time of year.

(pic by N Chadwick, creative commons licence)