I don't know about you, but I would love a holiday season that doesn't involve me frantically buying (and paying way to much for) lame scarves or snow globes or whatever's left a few days before Christmas. This year I'm pledging to shop early, shop smart and not shop often (well, we'll see about this last one, despite the crowds I do enjoy a nicely decorated mall around this time of year). Check out a few of my favorite smart-shopping tips below, here's to making this holiday season the most relaxing ever!
Tip no. 1: Be a Morning Person
“When the doors open, be there. Stores are always much more
organized (making it easier to find what you’re looking for) in the
a.m., not to mention less crowded. Plus, I make smarter, less
impulsive buying decisions at the start of the day, rather than
when I’m tired.” -- Monique, concept development for Calvin Klein
undergarments
“Every year, I scour the stores on December 26th. I buy tons of cute, fun seasonal items that have gone on sale or been recently reduced. I shelve everything until the next December -- when I’m then ready to start wrapping. It’s a cost-saving trick, plus [it] enables me to skip shopping during the holiday rush.” -- Ericka
Tip no. 3: One Size Fits All
“I tend to buy about 10 or 12 of the same thing, giving it to many people on my list (who hopefully don’t know each other). Some of my success stories: leg warmers for everyone, including relatives, teachers and friends; coffee table books, gift cards to amazon.com, and a vase filled with dried flowers.” -- Alyson
Tip no. 4: Be a Solo Shopper
“Peer pressure is the worst. It causes you to overspend -- on time and money alike. To avoid it, I always insist on shopping alone. This way, I hit the stores with [my] list in hand and am impossible to distract.” -- Laura, personal shopper in Chicago
Tip no. 5: Map Out Your Mission
“I am a stickler for a good list and great plan. Meaning, I make sure to take stock of who I need to buy for and what I would ideally like to find for each person. Then, I do my research, figuring out the key places I need to shop at, and I make a plan of which stores to hit and in which order.” -- Emily
Get 10 more smart shopping tips here!
- Step 1, how to shop, complete. Now on to Step 2: What to buy.
- Another fun (ha!) holiday chore: tipping. Find out how to do it right here.
- Holiday shopping would be a cake walk if you won this $10,000 Sephora shopping spree sweepstakes, right?!
