7 Ways to Reduce Christmas Shopping Stress
I have loved the Christmas season so much ever since I was a little girl! Stringing lights, trimming the tree, baking cookies, drinking hot cocoa, singing carols, reading the Christmas story…it all makes me so happy. What doesn’t make me happy is Christmas shopping. I love giving people presents, but I dread the stress of finding great gifts and enduring the financial strain it puts on our budget.
Make a List
Writing out a Christmas list is always fun for kids, but keeping a list can be a huge help for us grown-ups too. Jot down gift ideas for friends and family throughout the year (or at least throughout the fall) as you think of things you’d like to give people. Seeing it in writing will help you organize your thoughts and will allow you to do your Christmas shopping smarter with less urgency.
Keep a Spreadsheet
Am I the only person who tracks all my Christmas shopping each year on a spreadsheet? Please tell me there’s someone else out there! It has been so helpful to have a centralized place to track everyone I want to buy gifts for, what gift ideas I have for each person, where to purchase the gift, how much it cost, if it has been purchased/ordered and delivered, if it is wrapped, etc. All the recipients and categories can be copied into a new sheet each year to make the planning/tracking process really simple.
Set a Budget
Determine ahead of time how much it really makes sense for you to spend on Christmas shopping. The spreadsheet helps with this because you can list everyone you want to buy for and then budget certain dollar amounts to each one, then total it all up. If the total is too much, adjust it. Then get creative about how to give meaningful gifts for the budgeted amount.
When you’re shopping, either in-store or online, check that budget and stick to it. I also like to set a conservative budget and then designate a little extra as margin in case something I really want to get someone costs a little more than expected.
To hear why a budget is so important all year round, watch this video.
Shop Throughout the Year
My mom has always been so good about spreading her Christmas shopping out throughout the year and finishing by October. I’ve tried with a little success to do the same, and the more I do early, the more relieved I feel. This frees up so much time to spend enjoying other aspects of the Christmas season, and it also allows you to spread out the expense of buying gifts instead of overloading in the last month or two of the year.
Reduce Credit Card Use
Credit cards make it way too easy to buy too much and spend too much when you’re Christmas shopping. It’s difficult (but not impossible) to shop online without one, but it’s important to be really careful about it. One idea is to pay off your credit card balance at the end of each week if you’re using it to make a lot of purchases in November and December. It’s never fun to get to January and see a huge balance due, and it’s not a great way to start the new year.
If you want to shop online without using a credit card, there are some options. One is to use PayPal and link it to a bank account. Another is to pay cash for store gift cards at the grocery store and use the gift cards to make your online purchases. If you don’t know where you’re going to shop, you can use a Visa or Mastercard gift card. The fee charged when you purchase is WAY less than you would pay in credit card interest if you don’t pay off your balance in full each month. My mother-in-law is really great about getting Amazon gift cards at the grocery store (so she also gets fuel points) and loading them on her Amazon account so that she doesn’t have to use her credit card for Amazon purchases.
If you do your shopping in-store, take cash and your list/budget with you (or use the Visa/Mastercard gift cards).
Make Purchases You Feel Good About
Christmas shopping can be really difficult when you don’t have a great idea what you’re looking for. When I’m looking for a gift for someone without a clear idea of what I want to get them, I turn to shops that I feel good about buying from. I look for gifts that are unique, well made, and remind me of the person I’m buying for. I know my money is well spent and most of the time, people appreciate the thoughtfulness.
Small local shops and craft vendors are good places to look. It’s especially nice if you know the owner and can help support their business.
Start by looking:
- around your own town to see what’s available nearby
- around your state to see if there are any great destinations for small and local business shopping
- online for recommendations and links to reputable small businesses that will ship directly to you
One of my favorite ways to shop online is through Trades of Hope. The items available through Trades of Hope are handmade by artisans around the world who are working diligently to provide for their family. You can find amazing jewelry, handbags, soaps, home decor, and coffee here!
Remember What Matters Most
It’s so easy to get caught up in the Christmas shopping hype, but at the end of the day the gifts aren’t the main thing. When you start feeling the stress of the shopping season, take a breath and remember what you actually enjoy about Christmas. Is it a special tradition? Homemade eggnog? Christmas carols? Candlelight service? Time at home with family? Focus on those things.
Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth. Jesus himself said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). That is where our real joy comes from.
