The Holiday Shopping Experience - Rewarding or Traumatic?
By Lee-Anne Robert
Picture this scenario! It’s December 24th,
the day of Christmas Eve. On this day you should be relaxing, enjoying
time with family and thinking of all the precious memories you have
created throughout the year.
No, wait! It’s the last day of shopping before Christmas
and you haven’t even started to do your gift shopping.
You get into your car and fight traffic all the way
to the local mall, only to spend an hour trying to find a parking
spot. That is if you find one at all. You enter the mall in search
of the perfect gifts and there is a stampede of people. Looks like
everyone else is doing last minute shopping too!
You dodge the nudging elbows and stomping feet of
the crowds. You’re starting to feel claustrophobic, your stress level
is starting to increase and you haven’t even begun shopping yet!
Sound familiar? To top it all off, you browse through
the stores only to find that meager offerings remain. The shelves
are practically empty. What happens then? You spend too much money
on something that your gift recipient neither needs or wants. Their
gift wasn’t chosen for them...it was chosen out of desperation.
Once again, you remind yourself that you will prepare
far in advance for Christmas next year. The next Holiday Season arrives
and you repeat the same traumatic shopping experience.
How many of us have waited until the very last moment
to buy a gift for a loved one, friend or business associate? There
is only three months left until Christmas and those days will go quickly.
Christmas is one of the most stressful events of the
year. The expense of buying gifts and the pressure of last minute
shopping can all take the joy out of the most joyful time of year.
Here are some tips to take the stress out of Holiday
shopping this year:
1) Make a list of the people you will be buying a
gift for before you go shopping. If you have a large family or friends
to buy gifts for, it can get expensive. In our family, we have made
the decision to buy only for the children. Another way to reduce costs
is to have everyone draw a name out of a hat and buy a present only
for that person.
2) Think of gift ideas for the people on your list
and write them down. What are their hobbies and interests? What are
their needs and wants? If you cannot come up with anything, ask the
person directly for ideas. This will save you time wandering aimlessly
in the mall in search of a gift and you will give a gift that your
gift recipient really wants and will appreciate.
3) Buy a few extra gifts, for instance chocolates,
so that you will be prepared just in case you forgot somebody or an
unexpected guest arrives bearing gifts.
4) If possible, start your Holiday shopping a month
or two before Christmas. It is never to early to prepare!
5) Don’t forget about online shopping! Buy your gifts
over the internet. You can find most gifts online, shop at your own
convenience and you won’t have to step foot in a mall.
If you follow these tips, you are on your way to a
rewarding shopping experience and a less stressful Holiday Season.
We all must remember that Christmas is a joyful time
of year. It’s not about the gift you give or receive but it is about
cherishing the special people in your life and spending time with
them. Create new traditions and memories that will be with you for
a lifetime.
Copyright 2004 Written by Lee-Anne Robert, owner
of Cuddles ‘n Gifts at http://www.cuddlesngifts.net
featuring holiday gift baskets and gifts for any occasion. Check out
the new Holiday and Christmas Gift Basket selection. With gifts this
beautiful and classy, you will find a gift for anyone on your list!
