Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Organized Gift-Giving

If you're anything like most people, your head is swimming with holiday to-do items and a mental shopping list. Don't let the spirit of the holiday escape you by getting stressed out and overspending this season. Leave time to enjoy time with your friends and family, doing the things that mean the most to you.

One surefire way to get in front of it all is to follow Santa's advice and create a list. I like to pick up a ziploc bag or pencil case and a notepad (small enough to fit in my purse) and use this as my shopping list for the season. All receipts go into the ziploc or pencil case together, so that it's easy to track what you've spent, and also easy to find the receipts for any returns or exchanges that might be needed.

I like to make a few columns in my list: Recipient Name, Target Budget, Gift Ideas, and Items Bought. This makes it easy to see what your target spending is, and what you have purchased at a glance. Also, as budgets are tight, you can prioritize shopping week by week to avoid one massive hit on the credit card.

The great news is that if you do save your shopping until the last minute, then you won't be as easily tempted by the impulse buy at the register for that Chia Pet or foot massager that no one really wants anyway.

Happy Holidays!

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