Christmas may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it can be the most expensive, most time consuming and sometimes the most stressful too! With extra visitors, gifts to buy and wrap, food and drinks to sort and a whole house that needs to be transformed into a winter wonderland there’s no surprise we get a little frazzled from time to time! Buying gifts for your nearest and dearest can be tricky, as you try to work out what they would really like from Santa. Check out our little guide on how to Christmas shop like an expert.
Get Listing
This first tip might sound like a bit of a no-brainer but we can’t emphasize enough the importance of making a list. Grab a notebook and get started – who do you need to buy for? Break it down if you can, close family, extended family, friends, colleagues, and any others (your neighbor, your son’s teacher, the dog groomer), whoever you are planning to buy for make sure they are on the list. Not to mention, this list can also come in handy if you are organizing a party for them. When you are looking for Christmas Party venues in Glasgow or wherever you are from for that matter, having the list with you can help you in making the final call, in terms of the number of people who are attending. Whoa! the list seems to have too many uses. One final point – do not lose the list!
Get Budgeting
Know who you need to buy for? Right, the next step is deciding how much you want to spend and what type of items you want to buy. Got an overall budget for gifts? Then it’s time to break that down, allocate an amount for each group – close family, extended family etc and then allocate an amount per person. Try your best to stick to it (we know it’s difficult when you’re in shopping mode)!
Get Grouping
The grouping method can work well here. Group by gender, age, personality, hobbies, whichever way seems the most sensible for your recipient list.
Finding common ground might help you save time when choosing gifts. E.g. if you have something in mind for your friend the same gift may also work for your sister-in-law and cousin.
Get Brainstorming
As a rule of thumb steer clear of practical items (unless someone has specifically requested a new chopping board or hammer)! Generic presents are great as they can be consumed for good health – maybe get them chocolates and wine! Speaking of wine, get something really good. Maybe from McBride Sisters Wine Collection or any similar winemakers, because you don’t want to present some cheap corked wine!
If not for wine bottles and chocolates, choose something more meaningful that will last. For gifts that will delight take a look at the Willow Tree Christmas 2018 range. Cat loving pals will adore the Willow Tree Love My Cat figurine (there’s also a Willow Tree Love My Dog version for those who prefer canine companions). The Willow Tree Friendship figurine would make a lovely keepsake for a special friend, while the Willow Tree My Sister My Friend figurine would be a great choice for a sibling.
Get Online Shopping
Grab yourself a glass of mulled wine, it’s shopping time! Shopping online saves time, money, and energy. Who wants to traipse around a shopping center when you can stick the Christmas carols on, put your feet up and buy all the festive goodies you could desire from the comfort of your armchair? The key to online shopping for your Christmas gifts is to choose just a few shops to buy from. Remember the grouping method? This is where it comes in useful! Find online stores where you can buy multiple gifts. With Willow Tree Christmas 2018 is all wrapped up – there are beautiful figurines for all of your nearest and dearest (you could even treat yourself).
Buying from one or two online stores can also slash delivery costs, if you order goods over a certain amount many stores offer free or reduced delivery so it’s worth buying a few of your gifts in one go (plus you get the satisfaction of crossing people off your list)! You can even find some great deals online if you take a good look at what is out there. Checking out websites like Price means that you can do price comparisons of gifts you’ve had your eye on.
Get Wrapping
When items arrive place them somewhere safe and don’t forget where that is or else you will be playing hunt the gifts when it’s time to get wrapping. Go rustic this year and choose understated brown paper and string, save yourself money and get on-trend with a chic and minimalistic style.
Get Giving
Make gift swapping fun by arranging a special get together prior to Christmas. Invite your loved ones to stop by for an eggnog and a mince pie on a set afternoon or evening. This will save you racing round relatives and friends, trying to see everyone and having a meltdown as you try to ensure all gifts are delivered.
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