Personally I have always loved Christmas shopping, but the older that I’ve become, the more hassle it seems to be. There’s work to be done, children and dogs to take care of, a house that doesn’t decorate or clean itself, snow to shovel and ice to melt… So after all the decorating, Christmas baking, and life in general has been taken care of, it’s finally time to get the shopping done.
Sometimes it takes a good three weeks to get to that point. That means that Christmas is right around the corner and you only have one day to shop, wrap, and perhaps even deliver your presents. You’re no Santa, so what do you do?
First of all, when running late on your Christmas shopping, it’s important to know what you’re buying and for whom. If you know that and have a back-up plan for each present — after all you’re late and the stores may have sold out — then you are in pretty good shape. Kids will usually have picked out a dozen different toys to choose from, and for most adults you can go for some gift basket or other as long as it’s themed for the recipient.
Next you need to know where to buy. Some of your purchases may still be done over the Internet, but if you’re truly doing Christmas Eve shopping, shipping is most likely going to be an issue. So instead go to your local shops and boutiques, as they’re probably going to be a little less crazy than the mall or one of the super stores. The last thing you need is a crowd of stressed out shoppers, who want the same as you do, and who’ll do anything to get it (including stealing the parking space that you’d been waiting patiently for…).
Then you’re just about there. Go home and wrap your presents. But oops, you forgot the gift tags, or the clerk forgot to put them in your shopping bag. Well, fear not, you can just go to americangreetings.com and print them out. There you can choose between lots of different designs, so you can find one that matches each of your Christmas presents, and you won’t run out even if you mess up a few.
If you’re really getting in the mood now, you can get creative and print out a great package decoration. It’s a wonderful way to show how much you enjoy giving.
But perhaps the reason why you still haven’t bought your Christmas presents is that you just don’t know what to get everyone — then what do you do? If it is indeed Christmas Eve, then I would suggest e-mailable gift cards. You can get these time savers from many online retailers like Amazon, Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret, The Sharper Image, or you can go to a site like GiftCertificates.com and find e-mailable gift cards for other stores. Get a card or a gift card holder so you’ll actually have something to give — it’s a little nicer than spending Christmas morning around the computer.
Or finally, you can simply whip out your check book or go to the ATM and give the gift of cool cash. Print out a moneyholder, and you’re good to go!
Still not sure what to do? There are many helpful people around and some of them have even posted their advice online. Here are a few sites that provide both practical and funny takes on the last minute Christmas shopping conundrum.
- FindGift.com: Gift Giving Made Easy! Dedicated to helping you find creative gift ideas. Last Minute Gifts.
- About.com: Keep Your Christmas Shopping Simple and Last Minute Christmas Shopping from Aaron’s Classical Music Blog.
- Punny Money — Putting the “fun” back in “personal funance:” Ten Great Places to Do Last Minute Christmas Shopping.
- Christmas World: Last Minute Christmas Shopping.
Merry Christmas and happy shopping! And remember that in the end, it is the thought that counts.
Tags: Christmas, Christmas gifts, christmas presents, gift baskets, santa, toys
May 11, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Absolutely. But then I always do my christmas shopping in July - it saves on the hassle