12 Hints to Help You Get Ahead on Your Holiday Shopping

Around the holidays, the stores and malls tend to get extremely busy with everyone doing their holiday shopping. Avoid the crowds and the last-minute rush by following our 12 hints to help you get ahead on your holiday shopping!

Start early. Don’t be that person who leaves their holiday shopping until the final week before. Start as early as you possibly can! This will help you stay stress free with plenty of time to gather all your gifts.
Organize yourself beforehand. Holiday shopping can quickly become overwhelming with the sheer amount of people to shop for. But organizing yourself before you go by creating a game plan can be helpful. Be more efficient by knowing what you need and where you’re going to go for it.
Create a budget. Holiday shopping can add up very quickly! Making a budget for each person that you need to shop for keeps you from spending too much and can even help you decide what items to purchase.
Make a list. Lists are incredibly useful in keeping track of the gifts you need to buy and for who. Organize your list by person or by store and check things off as you pick them up. This way you’ll ensure you have everything you need and won’t be stuck scrambling a few days before the holidays.
Search for deals online. Many brands and stores will post their deals ahead of time online. This gives you the option of either ordering online or going in store to get the best possible price. By searching online, you save time at the mall with an idea of the deals you already know you want to take advantage of.
Go to the mall with friends. Who says holiday shopping has to be a solo endeavour? Do your holiday shopping with friends and make a day of it. It’s sure to be a festive and fun time spent together! Do you need help with your holiday shopping but don’t live near any friends or family? Goshenite Seniors Services offers Care Companion Services, where you can schedule a time for a fully-trained bilingual Care Companion to take you on an outing to assist you with your holiday shopping!
Shop sales. A notoriously expensive time of year, shopping for others can add up quickly. But there are typically many sales for you to take advantage of throughout the fall and early winter. Time your shopping to take advantage of the sales! You’ll be sure to have your shopping completed early and within budget.
Do things in batches. You don’t necessarily have to do all of your holiday shopping in one go! Split things up by person or by store and go out for a couple hours once per week until the holidays.
Shop locations that offer the stores you need. Once you have an idea of the stores that you have to go to, find a location in your area that offers the majority of those stores. This will help keep you from driving all over the place, allowing you to get the majority of what you need in a single place.
Pay attention to what your friends like. Gift shopping is not always easy and sometimes it can be a challenge to shop for particular people. By paying attention over time to what your friends like, you can plan to get them a gift they’re sure to love. You won’t be left scrambling to come up with a gift idea!
Buy throughout the year. As you go about your year, keep an eye out for gifts for friends on your adventures. This is a great way to slowly holiday shop throughout the year while getting things that make you think of your friends. This can also make for unique and special gifts that you collect from wherever you go.
Order early online. Although it can sometimes be difficult to shop online for certain items like clothing, online shopping offers the option to receive items in advance and right to your door. It can streamline the holiday shopping process by allowing you to do all your shopping from the comfort of your couch instead of spending an entire day going from store to store.