Beating Holiday Stress: Gift Guides
The holidays can be a stressful time of the year for so many people! I get it, the non-stop plans, gift buying, scheduling, time with extended family and everything else that comes with the holiday season... It's a lot.
In an effort to make this year a little less stressful, I'm doing a series dedicated to "Beating Holiday Stress". Today I hope to make your holiday shopping a little easier with my Gift Guides!
What's my Gift Buying Process?
Taking last year's list, I brainstorm a list of everyone. I like to do this between August and September, that way I can add in gifts as they come to me or as I'm inspired.
Add in the gifts and approximate costs for each person. I do this usually over the course of 2-3 months from September to November. This allows me time so that it's less stressful on me and my wallet.
Once I feel good about my list, I break out items that I can get through Black Friday and similar sales. The pre-planning can save me anywhere from 25-50% overall between everyone I purchase gifts for.
Make a purchase and ship plan. Not everyone lives nearby and some gifts need to be shipped, so around mid-November, I make a plan for who I'll buy for early, when I need the gifts in by and when I'll be shipping them to the recipients.
Put the plan into action!
How do I Pick Gifts?
Generally I focus on the person's interests and have a rough budget window. For example, if I'm buying for someone in their teens who likes to dance and has a TikTok, I might buy them something that's been trending in TikTok ads or find them a fun new accessory that can be worn on the way to dance practice. Like a scarf.
I also LOVE finding inspiration from the internet. My M.O. is not to get something someone asks for but instead get them something they'll love and didn't even realize they wanted.
The internet is a great place to find out what's trending and get inspiration. If you start planning as early as August or September, you can peruse over time and let inspiration come to you. For those of you a little shorter on time, I've created a few gift guides...
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