Christmas: Mulled Wine, Cranberry Sauce, Glistening Fields of Snow and … Last-minute Shopping.
There are Canadians who have long completed their Christmas shopping, who have neat stacks of beautifully wrapped gifts tucked under a decorated tree as I type this sentence, on December 16th. And there are others who are in a state of disbelief, wondering how November zoomed by at such a speed and why, why, why they did not start shopping earlier. If you are in the second group, fear not. These 5 tips will see you through this year’s shopping experience.
Tip 1.
Find a local shop that sells interesting gifts of quality. Every year, I visit a local shop that sells pottery, jewellery, scarves, hats and art – all created by local artisans. The shop is far less busy than most in December, and the shop assistants carefully wrap my choices. My family members feel good about receiving a gift that gives back to our local community. …show more content…
Set a spending limit and stick to it. The holiday season presents you with an opportunity to tell the important people in your life what they mean to you, with words and a thoughtful gift. Spend some time thinking about each person on your list, asking yourself what they might enjoy. Extravagance should have no place in a holiday that is meant to lift us up spiritually, emotionally and as a community.
Tip 3.
Should you feel it necessary to venture out into a mall, set a time limit for your visit. Why? Savvy retailers have ways of luring you into buying things that you do not need, the longer you spend in a store that is stuffed with shiny, interesting things, the greater the chance that you will buy more gifts that you need. If you do not find everything on your list, you can make a second timed visit.
Tip 4.
Remember that a mall is usually at its least busy for the first hour it is open. Should you be standing at the door just before the hard-working employees open them, greeting another day? Yes – yes, you should
There are Canadians who have long completed their Christmas shopping, who have neat stacks of beautifully wrapped gifts tucked under a decorated tree as I type this sentence, on December 16th. And there are others who are in a state of disbelief, wondering how November zoomed by at such a speed and why, why, why they did not start shopping earlier. If you are in the second group, fear not. These 5 tips will see you through this year’s shopping experience.
Tip 1.
Find a local shop that sells interesting gifts of quality. Every year, I visit a local shop that sells pottery, jewellery, scarves, hats and art – all created by local artisans. The shop is far less busy than most in December, and the shop assistants carefully wrap my choices. My family members feel good about receiving a gift that gives back to our local community. …show more content…
Set a spending limit and stick to it. The holiday season presents you with an opportunity to tell the important people in your life what they mean to you, with words and a thoughtful gift. Spend some time thinking about each person on your list, asking yourself what they might enjoy. Extravagance should have no place in a holiday that is meant to lift us up spiritually, emotionally and as a community.
Tip 3.
Should you feel it necessary to venture out into a mall, set a time limit for your visit. Why? Savvy retailers have ways of luring you into buying things that you do not need, the longer you spend in a store that is stuffed with shiny, interesting things, the greater the chance that you will buy more gifts that you need. If you do not find everything on your list, you can make a second timed visit.
Tip 4.
Remember that a mall is usually at its least busy for the first hour it is open. Should you be standing at the door just before the hard-working employees open them, greeting another day? Yes – yes, you should