Even if you start the year with the best intentions, it’s
easy to get to December without having purchased or planned any gifts for loved ones. This doesn’t make the shopping
experience pleasant, especially when you have to battle with big shopping crowds or out-of-stock items. Here’s how to
really get organized this year so that, come December, you can sit back and enjoy the season!
1) Make A List and Start Listening
First things first, make a quick list of everyone who you need to buy
gifts for this year. You can start this months in advance, and it’s easy to add to it if you forget anyone. It really
helps to do this on the computer, that way you can add ideas as you think of them throughout the year.
Now is also the time to start listening out and jotting down anything
your loved ones mention. People usually give out lots of subconscious hints about gifts they’d like, but we’ll
miss them all if we’re not in planning mode yet!
2)
Create a Budget
Now that you know who you’re
buying for, it’s time to figure out how much you’ve got to spend. Once you have that number, you can divide it
between the number of people on your list. Of course, some people will get more gifts than others, so take this into account.
Doing this a few months ahead of time is a good way to make sure Christmas costs don’t spiral out of control.
3) Create a Shopping Plan
When you plan your gifts months in advance, the chances are you’ll simply come across
the items when you’re out shopping for other things. However, for those people who aren’t so easy to buy for,
make a plan to do your Christmas shopping on certain days. Aim to have it all finished by a fixed date e.g. December 10. That
way you can make sure you aren’t wasting time going out on so many small shopping trips. Get it all done in just a few
instead!
4) Keep Updating Your List
That list you made in step 1 needs to stay updated if you’re going
to stay organized and stress-free. Every time you buy a gift for someone, cross it off the list. You can even add in how much
you’ve spent if you really need to keep close track of your finances!
5) Store Your Gifts Safely
Lastly,
make sure you have a safe, hidden place to store all the gifts. Don’t forget to label them so that you don’t forget
who you bought them for -- even better just wrap them all in advance and save yourself some future work! And don’t forget
to keep all the gift receipts in a safe place in case anyone wants to return or exchange their gift.