How to successfully buy gifts for the Holidays

Sol Rivero
December 16, 2013

With only 8 days left to buy the gifts for all your loved ones, we give you some tips on how buy them successfully and enjoy a problem-free Holiday! This short guide will help you give the perfect presents without creating a dent on your wallet.

Tip for successfully buying gifts for the Holidays #4: Create a list

Before going out to the mall, write down a list of your friends and family. Next to their names, write down their likes –this will help you pick the perfect present later. Once that’s done, check out your list and regroup the names by store. For example: if you wrote something like “Alice likes necklaces, John likes CDs, Anne likes earrings”, then reorganized it would be: “Jewelry store: Alice and Anne; Music store: John”.

This will help you know which places you must visit and what you must get. You should always have at least 3 options for each person in case you don’t find what you’re looking for.

Tip for successfully buying gifts for the Holidays #3: Define a budget

To save money, limit yourself to an amount and divide it amongst the persons on your list. You can destine a larger amount to the most important members –like your immediate family-, and then a smaller quantity for your friends and acquaintances.

Avoid spending more money than the amount you’ve initially decided on, and remember to include the wrapping and the cards on your budget.

Tip for successfully buying gifts for the Holidays #2: Consider online stores

Malls might be crowded during this season, so a good alternative is to check out online stores which have the items you’re looking for. Always check how long the shipping will take so you can make sure your gifts will be at your house before Christmas Eve.

It’s also a good option if you want to send the gift to a person’s house, and many stores will even give you the opportunity of wrapping the gift or adding personalized cards.

Tip for successfully buying gifts for the Holidays #1: Recycle and personalize

A great way of saving money is to wrap your own gifts using items from your house, like newspapers, old wrapping paper, pages from magazines, etc. The great thing about this alternative is that not only are you recycling, but you will also be able to get creative and personalize the gifts as much as you want. For example, you can use letters from a magazine to create a message, use images related to the person’s likes, create a funny gift-wrapping, etc.

Have a tip of your own? Share it in the comments!