It’s hard to believe that it’s already November and Christmas will be here in less than eight weeks. One of the most stressful parts of the holiday season is trying to work out what to buy people, how much to spend, and the etiquette around gift-giving for people you don’t know well or have recently started dating.
Read on for some dos and don’ts to consider to help you out as you begin to complete your Christmas shopping.
Do Pay Attention
Firstly, pay attention to the people in your life and what they talk about in the lead-up to Christmas. For instance, did your partner mention a pretty dress they saw in a shop window, or did your parent happen to talk about an item in their home that broke recently and could be replaced?
Our family, friends, and other contacts consciously or unconsciously drop hints here and there about what they’d like or what they want to buy when they get a chance, and this information is excellent fodder for Christmas gift ideas.
Do Keep an Eye Out for Deals
We all like to save money and pick up excellent deals when shopping, and buying Christmas gifts is no different. Keep in mind that Black Friday is coming up, as are other sale periods for retailers in the lead-up to the holiday season. Now is a great time to start looking for good offers on the items on your shopping list or even deals on products you hadn’t thought of purchasing yet.
Do Focus on Recipient Tastes
Remind yourself when buying Christmas gifts for the people you care about to focus on their tastes and interests, not your own. While we all naturally gravitate towards items that appeal to us, examining things with the recipient in mind is more important.
If you love the color pink, but you’re buying for someone who never wears or decorates with it and focuses on simple neutral or black shades much of the time, instead, says, buys a present that reflects their style. Be personal and thoughtful and look for goods related to the person’s hobbies, work or family life, extracurricular activities, etc.
Do Consider Experiences
You don’t have to stick with products as presents this Christmas. Instead, why not mix things up a bit by buying some of your loved ones something related to an experience they can remember for a long time? For instance, do you know someone who loves going to the theater, ballet, or musical concerts? If so, you could gift them with a ticket to an event you know they’ll love.
Or, you could buy a gift voucher for a cooking school, a motorbike or cool car outing, a hot air balloon ride, or even tickets to fly somewhere they’ve been keen to visit.
Do Adhere to Agreed Guidelines
Another tip is to adhere to the agreed-upon guidelines that have been set out in your family or friend or workgroups, etc. That is, has everyone agreed to buy gifts to a $20 or $50 limit, perhaps? If so, don’t make others uncomfortable by going wildly over the amount settled upon. You may have to get creative to come up with something interesting for the budget, but that shows the thought you put into your gift(s).
Don’t Go Over the Top
Don’t go over the top when shopping for presents for the people in your life, especially in certain situations. For example, if you have a new boyfriend to buy for the first time, you don’t want to come across as too full-on by outlaying a tremendous amount of money on their gift or buying them so many individual items that they feel awkward and can’t compete.
Instead, think about surprising them with some eye-catching lingerie sets that will make them grin when they view them on you, or opt for a nice bottle of boutique gin you know they’ve wanted to try. You could purchase a book you know they’d like, a cool t-shirt, or something else that shows you care but aren’t bombarding them.
Don’t Leave Shopping Until the Last Minute
Another big don’t when it comes to Christmas shopping is not to leave everything until the last minute. Doing so could mean you miss out on items because they’re all sold out, you don’t have enough time to peruse shops to find ideal gifts, or leave it too late to ship items or have them delivered to recipients.
This year it’s particularly vital to avoid last-minute shopping due to all the shipping delays occurring globally. Like many other businesses, retailers are struggling to get stock promptly and often can’t top up their inventory as readily as they’d typically do.
The sooner you start making a list of Christmas gift ideas and searching for items, the more organized and less stressed you will be this holiday season. Follow the tips above to help you on your way.
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