A Guide To…Christmas Shopping

CHRISTMAS shopping. It’s the Marmite of all spending, but love it or hate it – it’s got to be done. The question is, how?

Never venture outdoors without a list in hand (or bag). People will hate you.

For the logical, and perhaps frugal, among us, December is a breeze (not so literally). You’ve had the goods stashed in your wardrobe, fearing for your life every time you go to get your work pants out for months on end, because for you the January sales are your Christmas present calling. And so you can sit back and be smug for the rest of the year knowing that you’ve got something for every last (twice removed) cousin.

Well that’s all well and good, but for those of you who, like me, believe the sales are for grabbing yourselves a bargain – selfish, yes – Christmas shopping in January is like going to the local Indian for your Christmas grub. Just plain wrong.

Last Minute Shoppers

So for us last minute Lils, December passes in a flash and before you know it you’re opening the 23^rd door on your advent calendar (no, you’re never too old) and realise that actually you’ve not even made a start on the crinkled gift list that’s been lying at the bottom of your bag.

Ignoring the fact, mind, that you wrote it back when you were enjoying the remnants of the second door, and so it’s a quick dash to Boots for endless 2-4-1 and 3-4-2 offers. Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without bucket-loads of bath stuff.

Last Minute Shopping

Late Night Shoppers

And if you’re more middle of the spectrum? You take full advantage of the shops being open ‘til nine, opting for weekdays over weekends as shoulder-barging-angry Saturday shoppers armed with ginormous bags of loot are your pet peeve.

Naturally, by the 23^rd, you’re presents are all wrapped up and ready to go with each gift individually bagged per person to avoid the dreaded ‘mix-up’, because clearly, every little does help. And we definitely don’t want a rerun of last year when your aunty ended up opening the toolkit meant for your Dad and he was lumped with, well, you guessed it - bath stuff.

Late Night Shopping

Online Shoppers

If the mere thought of stepping foot into a shopping centre has you diving for your Slanket with the intention of hibernating ‘til Boxing Day, then you’re a definite online shopper. ‘Free Delivery’ promotions are your idea of a Christmas present come early - it’s quick and (almost) pain free, just a click click click and ta-daa, you’ve got something for everyone and didn’t even need to get dressed. Result.

The problems arise when you miss the delivery and have to traipse to the post office to retrieve your goods (that’s if it isn’t a Saturday, because then, you’re buggared.)

Online Shopping

So with Christmas around the corner and your chocolate advent fix coming to an end (sigh), here’s my advice to ease the stress of festive shopping:

While they may be on offer, buying bath bombs and such likes are not everyone’s cup of tea. Steer well clear. We’ll all end up with at least one thing soap-related come Christmas morning, so let’s keep it to a minimum.

Online shopping may seem tempting, but it can all add up if it isn’t ‘Free Delivery’. And remember to arrange drop off times when you’ll be home, unless you enjoy the journey to pick it up – which kind of defeats the object.

Never venture outdoors without a list in hand (or bag). People will hate you. Plus you’ll only end up spending more time umming and aahing than actually buying.

If in doubt, get the vouchers out. It’s not as thoughtless as the general consensus would have you believe, and it’s better than buying something from the ‘Stocking Fillers’ basket.

And on that note, there’s nothing like a fake smile and slipping the gift receipt into your pocket, because it’s all in the spirit of Christmas. And there’s a reason the shops open so early on Boxing Day…

Follow Laura on Twitter @LaurSco