Strategies to Finish Christmas Shopping Early

I have a goal this year. Finish my Christmas shopping before Black Friday. Impossible you say? Read up on my strategies to finish Christmas shopping early and maybe you can finish a little earlier this holiday season as well. Don’t be the one at the store on Christmas Eve! Get Christmas shopping finished so there is more time for family, friends, and entertaining this holiday season.

Start early! Yes this is a no brainer. Starting my shopping as early as August is not uncommon around here. Even if you missed the boat on this one, start today. Grab your computer, a credit card, and Amazon. Start early to finish early.
Make a list. List all of those that you need gifts for and ideas for them beside their names. Check them off as each gift is purchased. There is nothing more satisfying then making that check mark. Well unless it is making the LAST check mark on that list!
Make a goal. There are say 20 people on your list. You want to finish shopping in 10 days. Yep you got it….you need to finish shopping for 2 people each day. Pick a gift, get it purchased, and check them off of the list. Set your goals depending on your list and time constraints. I have 7 people left on my list and I want to be done in 5 days from today. I need to get busy!
Consider your budget. So all of this is well and good but what if you don’t have the budget for 20 people over 10 days? Take your gift budget and divide it among those on your list. Yes some will have less and some will have more but spread the budget until everyone has an amount by their name. The reason for the season is NOT to spend more or max out your credit cards. Spend what you can afford, make it meaningful, and everyone will be happy.
Give handmade. If you budget from #4 is making you feel less than awesome, be sure to search around for handmade gift ideas. Many are simple, affordable, and easy to make. You can have a meaningful gift for way under your projected budget by making some of the gifts yourself.
Get in and get out. If you are going to a store, have a plan with your list from above. Who are you shopping for? What are your ideas? No browsing. Only go into the stores that you know will have something on your list. This is the time to get it done. Be a shopping ninja!
Shop online. The internet is your friendly neighborhood store that you can shop in your pajamas. Crank some holiday music and find the perfect gift online for those on your list. You just finished half of your Christmas shopping and it is not even lunch time.
Wrap it. You are finished. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief. Well not quite. You need to wrap all of those amazing, meaningful, budget friendly gifts. Wrap them now. You will thank me later.

Now that your shopping is done, decorate your home, invite your friends over for a party, and most of all enjoy your holiday. This is a time to be spent with family and friends. Not a time to fight over the latest toy in a Black Friday meltdown. Create a list, budget, and a shopping strategy. Get in, get out, and get on with the real reason for the season. Do you have any more strategies to finish Christmas shopping early? Leave them in the comments!