It’s that time of year again, and parents all over are scrambling to get everything in order in time for that special day.
They don’t want to disappoint their kids—their little hopes are up so high around this time of year, waiting for Santa to come and deliver their gifts. Of course, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see how this can get a little stressful for the parents. It’s not just a matter of getting everything on our kids’ Christmas wish lists, either; you have to have things planned out ahead of time, so that you don’t have to worry about stores running out of stock, or not having enough money to do the bulk of your shopping. So here are a few useful pointers for planning your Christmas shopping done quickly and easily.
The biggest problem is probably going to be budget. We all know our kids want the very best from Santa, and sometimes, that can get incredibly expensive. Their eyes light up when they see that new toy or video game on the shelves, but we’re just picking our jaws up off the floor after seeing those price tags. So here are some tips:
1. Buy Second Hand
Will they really know it is second hand? Most likely not. This may sound like something only an incredibly cheap individual would do, but don’t write it off just yet. Most used goods are still of decent quality, and if you aren’t satisfied, most good sellers will oblige you with a refund. This is something that should be considered with video games; on eBay and Amazon, for example, there will be offers for used games that you might want to look into if you don’t have a lot of money, but make sure that the seller mentions the quality of the product in the description. The same goes for other items, too. You don’t want to pay for something that’s in poor condition. A useful tip would be to check the seller’s feedback history, if possible. This way you can be sure they can be trusted.
When buying on Buy, Sell, Swap Pages and through sites like GumTree and eBay, you always have the option of checking the item first. It pays to spend a day looking through what’s for sale online (and even through garage sales). You can get big ticket items (bikes, video games, etc.) for a fraction of the price and often, all they need is a good wash or dust to make them look like new.
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2. Online Shopping
Clearly, we love the internet and online shopping can make life so much easier! If you shop online, you don’t have to worry about running in-between stores if one place doesn’t have what you’re looking for. You can often get most or all of the things on your child’s list simply by purchasing them from a single website. And less time spent out shopping means you have more time to get other things done, like set up decorations or plan your Christmas dinner.
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3. Sell to Buy
Take advantage of the silly season and use October, November and December to sell your unwanted items. The extra cash can easily be used to buy new (old) toys for the kids. Yes, it takes some planning to go through the items, clean them and post them online or have a garage sale but think about how much you can save!
4. Gift Cards
Do you ever have weeks when you are actually ahead? Take the extra money (even if it’s just $20) and buy a gift card to Toys R Us, iTunes, BCF, etc. You can use this money to buy presents in December or even give them as stocking stuffers.
via giftcards.ca
5. Gifts of Love
You most likely have more people to buy for than just your immediate family. Spend a weekend baking different Christmas cookies to give as gifts. Purchase several Christmas tins and give the gift of delicious baked goods to friends, your kid’s teachers, neighbours, co-workers and people that stop by unexpected with a gift for your family. You will be saving around $10 per gift by baking and most people will love the thought and care that goes into gifts that are made and baked with love.
