By: Serena Mao
With the holiday season behind us, we can forget the stress of rushing to buy gifts for our loved ones for a couple more months. So let’s prepare ourselves early for the undoubtedly stressful Christmas 2020, by following these tips!
1: make a budget. Although it can be tempting to browse stores and buy items impulsively, having a set amount of money to spend in mind can help to prevent last minute panic shopping.
2: shop online. A good amount of shoppers have already discovered the lucrativity of online shopping: it’s much less of a hassle and it can be done from anywhere. Plus, you have the opportunity to explore countless stores without having to physically walk to each of them.
3: strategically buy the same gift twice. Many stores have buy one get one free deals, and if multiple people would appreciate the gift, it makes sense to take up the deal.
4: shop on weekdays. The weekends are often insanely crowded, and having to wait in long lines or browse nearly empty shelves will not be productive for your shopping goals. Instead, go to the malls and other stores on weekdays, when there are fewer people crowding around the most valuable gifts and the lines are more efficient.
5: go on social media for ideas. Sites like Pinterest can offer valuable inspiration for unique or homemade gift ideas. Additionally, if your mind is blank when it comes to gift ideas, looking on their Facebook or Instagram can give you hints on what they enjoy doing.
6: look around the back of the stores. Many frantic holiday shoppers will look for the products at the front of the store that retailers are the most eager to get rid of. In addition, the shelves at the front of stores have often been combed through excessively, thus leaving very few products of value. However, making a beeline for the back of the store can lead to the discovery of hidden deals or gems.
Hopefully, these tips help you get through your holiday shopping adventures with a bit more ease!