To be honest if I wasn’t on the Sears Blogger Squad I would have started my Holiday shopping the week before Christmas (IE: this week). Every year I’m always a late starter but I’ve always gotten what I’ve needed. This year being a part of the holiday blogger campaign with Sears, I felt the pressure to start a little bit earlier (LOLZ, blogging pressure). Everyone is different and I even know people that had half their Holiday shopping done before Black Friday (go you guys!).
I know people that start their Holiday shopping in May. By Black Friday, they are pretty much done with everything. I also know there are people like me, who panic and start 5 days before Christmas. Everyone’s different and in reality, the Holiday’s are about enjoying the company of family and friends anyways. My Holiday shopping is never stressful and I hope other people’s isn’t either.
This year was a bit of an odd ball year for me. I would have normally started shopping for everyone this week (Last minute LOLZ). Since T has to leave and I am working in retail during the holidays, that wasn’t an option. I am almost completely done with shopping except for my parents. Sometimes I think my parents are the hardest to shop for.
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I came across this LOLZy article from Huffington post about Christmas shopping. I can relate to almost everything. I thought the post was so relateable I wanted to dedicate a post to it!
Two tips really stuck with me: The first was “stay to the list”. I love when someone gives me a list of things they want for Christmas. Sadly most adults don’t give lists and I’m stuck guessing what people want…if everyone gave a list I think Holiday shopping would be easy.
One thing I have been enjoying about doing holiday shopping at Sears is free shipping or the free in store pickup. It keeps me able to stick to lists. I just ordere what I want I want/need and pick it up. I don’t mindless browse.
Mindlessly browsing stores always ends up like this:
Buy the gifts intended to purchase for friends and family .
Buy random things for Hollie she doesn’t need.
End up spending twice as much on random things Hollie doesn’t need.
I ordered all of Tim’s gifts online and then picked them up in store. It makes it really nice. Sears has been a staple for 75% of my gift purchasing this year. I cannot thank them enough for opening my eyes to some of the great deals.
The second was that smart shoppers don’t buy something, “just because it’s cheap”. I’m someone who doesn’t care for trivial junk. If I haven’t used an item in a year, I donate it. This includes clothing, random accessories or anything in general. I always ask myself “will I even use this”? Yes, it’s cheap but it’s pointless if (or the person intended) won’t use it.
So long post short my holiday shopping is almost done. I have a few odds and ends left to purchase but all the major shopping is finally completed.
Questions for you:
When do you get your Holiday shopping done?
What is on your Christmas list?
Yes yes yes to lists! I think its only appropriate abd ensures no returns have to be made!
I agree on cheap gifts. I received several gifts already that I don’t want or need, and aren’t my style, but I can safely assume were on sale (not calling names but certain family members are notorious). I actually make lists, but sometimes people give you what they want you to have and like because it’s what THEY want and like…
Christmas lists are the bomb dot com. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t made Clay do this. I think adults won’t do it because it seems childish to them or materialistic to ask for things, but I’d rather do that than get someone something they absolutely don’t like or need. And if the items are expensive at least I know where to buy a gift card for.
I hate shopping, honestly, so this is never my favorite time of the year! But we are lucky in that between our two families, we really don’t have tons to buy for. And this year, my husband and I are making donations in each other’s names as our gifts to each other. Win/win!
Our shopping was basically 95% done before Black Friday through 3 places – Amazon, H&M (online), and Macy’s in-store. Macy’s was honoring Black Friday deals all week, so was Best Buy so I got the one thing for our older son there that was on his list.
I do like lists – even if I am the worst. I get tech stuff all year long, so I never have anything left for a list … but clothes. My body has finally stabilized and even my old ‘skinny clothes’ are too big (well, I always wore stuff baggy), so I am purging my closet – made for an easy list (actually we just shopped together).
My mother is the queen of ‘click & ship’ – beyond a list she actually liked when we send links.
yessssss I so agree with that “don’t buy something just because it’s cheap”!! That is the WORST when you get some random item that you’re never going to use and you know they just got it for you because it was a cheap stocking stuffer type thing! Also my fam does secret santa and we have to provide a list of at least 5 items. Makes shopping SO MUCH EASIER. I would much prefer to get something that I know someone wants rather than have to guess!
On my Christmas list, more art supplies for my Etsy Shop crafts 🙂
So true about not buying stuff just because it’s cheap! My coworker has an almost obsessive condition that if something is super cheap or on sale she has to buy it. So she ends up with a lot of crappy clothes that fall apart in a month 🙂
I prefer to buy nice things and only when I need them. Moving helped me with this realization! I was packing so much stuff and was asking myself, “really, I need 4 of these shirts?” No, no I don’t.