How to Be Intentional with Your Holiday Shopping

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Do you struggle to get your holiday shopping done every year? I used to always tell myself that I would knock all of my shopping out before the first week of December. But then I’d get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. And before I knew it, it was December 20th and my teenage boys still hadn’t decided what they want.

With 4 kids, I have definitely had to get a little creative when it comes time for the holidays. I don’t have the time or energy to “shop til I drop” right up until the last minute. So I have come up with a few tricks that help me get my shopping done in a reasonable time without feeling burnt out and exhausted.

Are you ready to knock out your holiday shopping so you can have more time to relax during the most wonderful time of the year? We all know how quickly time flies, so let’s get right to it!

Take it a step further with The Holiday Playbook! 👇

A unique holiday planner that will help you stay organized and uphold traditions from Halloween through New Year’s.

CREATE A HOLIDAY SHOPPING PLAN-OF-ACTION

A holiday shopping plan-of-action is basically a strategic way of mapping out what you will be purchasing and from where!

And it’s pretty easy to do as long as you have a list of all of the gifts you will be needing!

✔ Start by making your gift-recipient list, which will give you a bird’s eye view of everyone and everything you need to shop for.

✔ If you divided your recipients into groups, simply decide when you will be shopping for each group.

✔ Use price comparison apps to figure out what should be bought in-store and what should be bought online.

✔ Then, group your shopping list by store and/or website.

✔ Once you’ve decided how you will approach your holiday shopping, plan it all out on your calendar!

START PRICE SHOPPING

The best way to start price shopping is with price comparison apps. They can help you determine the best place (and time) to save money on gifts this season.

So get a head start on your shopping plans and you will have plenty of time to catch some good deals! 😉

HERE ARE A FEW PRICE COMPARISON APPS TO HELP YOU OUT:

(Click on each link to be taken directly to the source!)

– Shopular allows you to check out your favorite places to shop and see what’s on sale.

– With ScanLife, you can compare prices online and locally, read reviews, and earn rewards.

– BizRate makes it easy to find the best prices, search deals, and set price alerts.

– ShopSavvy finds both online and local stores that offer specific products and prices.

– Honey is a browser extension that will search for coupons on your favorite shopping sites while you shop.

– Mycartsavings will track product prices and alert you when they’ve reached the price you are hoping for.

– If you’re looking for a shopping companion that will automatically find lower prices and notify you of deals, the browser extension, PriceBlink is what you need!

– And of course, when you’re shopping locally, you can always scan a barcode to check the price of something on Amazon.

PLAN HOMEMADE GIFTS

If you want to make homemade gifts this year, start looking for some ideas now!

And if homemade gifts aren’t your thing, that’s okay! You can either skip past this one or maybe take some time to plan a few arts and crafts with your kids.

Ever since I was a little girl, I always dreamt of the togetherness of a large family. If only I had thought about the cost!

With over 20 extended family members to shop for, homemade gifts are starting to sound pretty appealing, if not necessary!

Every year up until now, I have decided to make a large batch of something at the last minute. And it’s always left me stressed out, exhausted, and feeling pretty crummy about our thrown-together gifts.

So this year I’ve been doing a little research ahead of time. Here are some ideas I’ve found around the internet:

(Again, just click on each link to be taken directly to the source!)

And click here for 30 more gift-in-a-jar recipes!

Once you’ve decided on some homemade gifts, write down all of the supplies you will need and make a point to pick them up all at once from the craft store.

By planning in advance, you should be able to knock out your DIY gifts before Thanksgiving!

STOCK UP ON WRAPPING SUPPLIES

Have you ever been knee-deep in wrapping when you realize you’re out of tape or you can’t find the scissors?

Then you rush out at the last minute and have to pay full price for everything. 🤔

You can avoid that last minute rush for wrapping supplies if you stock up early!

When you’re pulling out your decorations, go ahead and check your wrapping paper stash.

Take note of what you have and what you’re running low on. And then make a point to stock up while all of the wrapping items are still on sale!

OVER TO YOU

Well, there you go! These tips will help you plan ahead and organize your shopping plans so all you’ll have left to do is purchase the gifts!

Create your gift recipient list
Price shop ahead of time
Sort your gift ideas by store and/or website
Stock up on wrapping supplies
Plan homemade gifts

Start mapping out your holiday shopping plans and before you know it, you’ll be cozied up under a blanket, feeling pretty good about the fact that your holiday to-do list is under control!

Are you ready to get started planning for the holidays? Finish the form below to gain access to the mini-holiday planner! 👇

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