This post is written by contributing writer, Jenni from Live Called.
Sitting in her cozy home, Molly finishes writing out her shopping list to buy gifts for her loved ones. Outside the winter wind blows and she can almost hear the howls of discontentment from the slaves of commercialism. She shivers as she remembers the anxiety caused by Christmas shopping last year. “If only there was a way to avoid the road rage, disgruntled shoppers and seasonal stress,” she wishes.
Have you ever felt like this? I know I have. Honestly, I despise having to go to just about any store–and especially the mall–during the Christmas shopping season! Thankfully, there is a way to avoid Christmas stress with a little planning.
6 Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Shopping
1. Support small businesses. Although you still have to get out, you can avoid the big crowds by going to locally-owned stores. Personally, I would much rather spend a little more and support a family-owned shop than brave the mega-stores and add to their billion dollar profit.
2. Shop throughout the year. Dedicate a large container to be a “gift box” and store items for people as you find them. Not only will this save you a headache at the end of the year, it can also save you money when you are able to find things at a discount. In addition, you can shop out of this box for birthdays or random celebrations that pop up during the year.
3. Finish early. Set a date to finish your shopping before the season begins. My mom often has her gifts bought and wrapped before Thanksgiving. I haven’t managed to follow in her footsteps in this area yet, but is something I hope to aspire to one day.
4. Buy online. The wonderful world of the internet opens many avenues for shopping. Sites like Amazon
5. Get crafty. As an alternative to buying handcrafted gifts, you can make your own. I suggest browsing Pinterest for an abundance of ideas, tutorials and DIY projects.
6. Go gift-free. This is the completely stress-free option. You can always decide to give up buying Christmas gifts all together. Some people believe this is the best option for themselves and their family. Maybe you are one of those people.
I hope these tips have given you a few ideas to help ease the sometime burdensome chore of shopping for Christmas gifts. However, no matter what your situation is, I believe the greatest stress-reliever is giving your anxiety to God and choosing joy. It is only then that you can truly be stress free.
About Jenni Mullinix
I think the biggest thing we do is set a budget in January, and save all year for Christmas. We have a finite amount to work with, and we get creative with sales, making things, etc. Ever since setting a budget (thank you, Dave Ramsey & Financial Peace!), we have become even more intentional about what we buy and really get the most bang from our buck. There is no financial stress during the holiday, nor is there the dreaded giant credit card bill in January. That is a huge blessing, along with choosing joy for wherever we are.
Of course, I wish I had written my 10 Rules for Delightful Gift Giving a few years ago to save myself from some epic gift fails, but then again I wouldn’t have the fails to share in my post. Ah, the trials, tribulations, and joy of being a blogger!
Kim recently posted..10 Rules for Delightful Gift Giving
Kim, I love it, and oh so true! We save year round for Christmas too. It’s such a huge help!
A few years ago we decided with my mom & sister’s family to stop adding stuff to each others’ homes. Instead we either volunteer somewhere in honor of them or donate to something they have a heart for. We then write up something to tell what was done for them with pictures if possible. (We’d probably volunteer with them if we lived closer.) It’s been fun to see what others chose for us & to research organizations who do what they like. This year we learned new things about each other by answering questions, as we felt we needed new giving ideas. There is no more pressure to get the gift they’ll like because anything given to help in an area they’re interested in is cool for the family member, & it’s all going to great causes & nonprofits. My sister’s family now has 7 members & it also helps us stay on budget. She keeps the gift explanations in a binder so the kids can look back at them and it will excite them to be givers.
And like the other Dave Ramsey fan above, we budget a monthly amount for our gift envelope, so no financial stress.
Staci, I like this idea, and I especially love that your family is joyfully on board! Love it! And we’re do the same thing…monthly budget into our gift envelope. So helpful!
These are great tips, I really love your writing Jenni. Christmas time is so busy but we must resist the advertiser’s persuasive techniques of dragging us towards their idea of a “perfect Christmas” and keep focused on the most important things Christ and family.
Mel Caldicott recently posted..No Matter What