Christmas is a magical time of year. Along with that magic comes the stress and worry over budget and the holiday shopping blitz. Most people start shopping the day after Thanksgiving and keep going until Christmas Eve. I am unable to shop that way, not just because I do not like crowded malls.
I get paid once a month for my job as a substitute teacher. Setting aside some money each payday could help me pay for Christmas if I were frugal. There is no guarantee that I would not spend that money on other things. Therefore, I do three things to limit my holiday shopping stress.
Plan a Budget for Each Person – The problem I and many other people have is being able to afford Christmas gifts for family, friends, and friends’ children. Like Santa Claus, I make a list of everyone I am buying a gift for. Adults usually get one or two gifts and children usually get two or three, including at least one book. I am a teacher after all. Once I have my list I can decide, based on my usual pay, how much I want to spend on each person. Then I brainstorm ideas about what I want to get each person based on that budget.
Shop Early – Starting in March, with every paycheck I purchase a gift or two and store them in a large plastic tub until it is time to wrap the gifts. My pay varies from month to month. In the months where I get higher pay, I buy the more expensive gifts on my list. By starting months in advance I avoid the holiday shopping blitz and the stress of getting my shopping done.
Take Advantage of Sales – Since I have an idea of what gift I am getting each person, I can keep an eye out for sales on those items. I also look out for special gifts that I might not have thought of when I made my list. For example, one year I found a vintage Mrs. Beazley doll for my sister. She had one of those dolls when she was a little girl. Gifts can be more personalized if you are not crunched for time.
I have used this shopping method for several years now. I make a list and budget for gifts. I avoid the last minute crush of time and money for Christmas shopping. I also take advantage of sale items and I often find special, meaningful gifts. By Thanksgiving my gifts are wrapped and ready for placement under the Christmas tree. This way of shopping allows me to have money to buy last minute gifts or something special off a child’s list. With a little bit of planning ahead, I make Christmas memorable and fun for my family and friends.