Christmas Shopping:
A lot of people love the holiday, but dislike fighting the crowds. They also get stressed when shopping. Will this person like this? Is it the right size? What if I go over budget? To help with the madness, I have written out a quick guide to shopping that should take some of the stress away, and help you enjoy your excursions.
The Day Before-Preparation
The bunnies and I sat down and wrote out a Christmas List of folks we want to shop for. This is a crucial first step. You want a general idea of what your looking for, about how much you are willing to spend (per person, or per gift). While your at it, take a look at your budget. It is a good idea to know ahead of time what you are comfortable spending. A list of all relatives and friends you plan to buy for is also helpful.
The next step is picking your day and the location. Do you want company? Plan for a day you can go shopping with friends. Which mall/stores do you want to go to? If possible, set aside the entire day for shopping. You don't want to feel rushed, or hurried. This way, if you run into traffic, or if the mall is packed, you don't feel stressed out. Crowds tend to ebb and flow. Around lunch is a good time to get some shopping done because most of the shoppers will be a the food court. If a store is too packed, go outside for a while and enjoy the fresh air.
Finally, be sure to check any adds, sales, or promotions that you think may be helpful. Especially big ticket items! Have a good idea the the average price is, that way you know a good (or bad) deal when you see it.
Morning Of: Preparation-Getting read to leave the house
Shopping day! Before leaving the house, I have a few suggestions for you. Eat a big breakfast, preferably brunch if you can. You don't want to feel faint or tired while out shopping, and you want to avoid eating grease at mcdonalds or something while out and about (chocolate or sugar is fine;).
Next, double check last minute sales events before leaving. This is another reason brunch is so important. It leaves you an hour or so after you wake up and before you make brunch to check online for events or sales.
Be sure to remember your list. (spoiler alert, we forgot ours). Your list will help you keep focused, and you can cross things off as you go.
Dress appropriately. You are setting out for what may possibly be a 2-4 hour walk indoors. Wear comfy walking shoes, and a comfortable outfit. Dress with a couple layers. That way, you can go indoors or ourdoors and not be too hot or cold.
Bring a small snack, and be sure to bring along 5-10$ for snacks or a drink while your out. Shopping is hard work. It's a good idea to take a break now and then, and a small pick-me-up will keep your spirits up.
Make sure your car is fueled and ready to go. Bring music or something in case you run into traffic. Does your trunk have enough room for your purchases? You don't want them in the backseat if you plan to leave your car for long stretches of time.
Check that your phone is charged. More than likely you may need to make a few calls either to friends or family if you are the "designated" shopper, or to check sizes or duplicate items, etc.
This is more of an afterthought, but had an idea on what you want for dinner. More than likely, you will return home hungry, but (hopefully) pleased with your purchases. Dinner should be quick, easy, and filling.
Shopping:
You made it! Your in the mall, or wherever, and ready to go shopping. Awesome! If you are shopping with a friend (or posse) check that each group or pair have a phone.
Take a look at your list, and decide which shops you want to hit first. Remember, you're out to have fun! If you want to window shop, or spend extra time in Barnes and Noble for example, do it! Your list is more of a guide, not a grocery list. Be willing to change someone's idea if you find something on the shelf that has someone's name written all over it.
Take some time to appreciate the decorations. Most malls and stores go all out on their decorations. Some towns even set up nutcracker cards all over! Other 2-story malls have giant Christmas trees, and Santa. If you're feeling down, just watch the face of a kid who sits on Santa's lap. :)
Keep an eye on time. Clocks and watches work differently in malls.
Finally, keep all receipts, and keep a running total on how much you spend. This way your not blindsided when you get home, or the next time you check your account.
Here's how we fared on our trip:
Planning: we wrote out everyone's name on a list, but left a lot of blanks as we couldn't think of what they might want. We did plan a couple of homeade presents, which aside from keeping the cost down, can be creative and very special! The bunnies checked for deals but didn't find any.
Morning: The following morning, we found out one of the deals had expired *sob*, so we'll have to come back when the deal is back on. Brunch was delicious! we had a full compliment breakfast, with cubed potatoes, 2 fried eggs, toast, juice, coffee, and bacan! Bellies full, we set out only to forget the list.
Shopping: After arriving at the mall, we met up with a posse of people to go shopping, but arrived at different times, and we all had lunch at separate places and times, which was fine, but made things a little disjointed. The decorations were incredible, and Christmas music was playing everywhere! It was rather like eating the first candy cane of the season. There were shoppers milling about but not too many. We lost track of time, did a lot of window shopping, and clothes shopping but found a few Christmas presents despite forgetting our list, and placed an order in to Office Depot for a card game. :D Overall it was a wonderful trip. Otter was there, so was Koda, Ducky, Owl, and the Mice. All of us being book lovers, we spent a couple hours in B and N, and I stopped off for a cookie as a small pick-me-up.
Aftermath: Looking back, there were several things that could have gone better, but it was a great day! We labeled all our receipts and placed them in a small bag that we can carry with us to parties in case a receipt may be needed. We re-evaluated our list, and wrote in more ideas we had by shopping around, and may yet head out on another excursion in the future! Next time we'll be more prepared.
Morning: The following morning, we found out one of the deals had expired *sob*, so we'll have to come back when the deal is back on. Brunch was delicious! we had a full compliment breakfast, with cubed potatoes, 2 fried eggs, toast, juice, coffee, and bacan! Bellies full, we set out only to forget the list.
Shopping: After arriving at the mall, we met up with a posse of people to go shopping, but arrived at different times, and we all had lunch at separate places and times, which was fine, but made things a little disjointed. The decorations were incredible, and Christmas music was playing everywhere! It was rather like eating the first candy cane of the season. There were shoppers milling about but not too many. We lost track of time, did a lot of window shopping, and clothes shopping but found a few Christmas presents despite forgetting our list, and placed an order in to Office Depot for a card game. :D Overall it was a wonderful trip. Otter was there, so was Koda, Ducky, Owl, and the Mice. All of us being book lovers, we spent a couple hours in B and N, and I stopped off for a cookie as a small pick-me-up.
Aftermath: Looking back, there were several things that could have gone better, but it was a great day! We labeled all our receipts and placed them in a small bag that we can carry with us to parties in case a receipt may be needed. We re-evaluated our list, and wrote in more ideas we had by shopping around, and may yet head out on another excursion in the future! Next time we'll be more prepared.
I hope your trip(s) goes well, and that these ideas help! I'll be back later with more Christmas advice!
Woof!
Sheepdog
2 comments:
Well done! I like the advice, thanks!!
The more food the better, just make a stop watch. Every 1 hour, make sure to eat something or drink something. If you are in the middle of picking out the perfect set of earrings for your mother, or spice rack for your dear old dad, just drop it and walk out and eat a bite. You may come up with an even better idea for Christmas, and if someone else buys it, there's always amazon!!
Post Note: Earrings have two R's, not one. If you can't remember, ask yourself how many ears you have.
Post a Comment