My holiday shopping tips can make choosing gifts easier, less time consuming and, in some cases, more frugal too.
Holiday shopping is never easy and this year it presents even more challenges. We are all so ready for Christmas and holiday celebrations after nearly two years of pandemic, but we are still under a lot of stress. Many of us have unrealistic visions of the kind of Christmas celebrations we see on television and social media. All the Christmas advertising doesn’t help either, especially now there are more pressures on our finances than ever. In addition, time seems to be racing away from us.
We all want to surprise and delight people with thoughtful, beautifully wrapped gifts. It’s easier than you think with these holiday shopping tips!
Top Holiday Shopping Tips
Make lists
Make a list of people you need to buy gifts for. This includes gifts/tips for those who provide a service to you as well as any holiday birthdays. Make another list of events you need to buy for, to include items such as clothes and shoes for social occasions for all members of the family as well as hostess gifts.
Be realistic about your holiday shopping budget
This is one of the most important holiday shopping tips! Gifts don’t have to be extravagant to be meaningful. Think about ways you can be creative instead – homemade treats make wonderful gifts that are always well received. If you are pressed for time or inspiration, visit Christmas craft fairs for inexpensive handcrafted gifts and ornaments that make beautiful presents.
Do as much holiday shopping locally as possible
While online shopping can be a lifesaver, it’s important to patronise local shops and businesses where you can. Consider giving gift certificates for local restaurants or day spas to your local friends and family. Many florists, like my favourite local florist Green Parlour, also offer flower subscriptions.
Get to know your local retailers. Some will even ship gifts direct to the recipients, just like their online counterparts.
If you giving books as gifts but cannot shop at your local bookstore, consider Bookshop UK. They provide online shopping convenience but support local bookstores. Not sure which book(s) to choose? Why not send a gift card? (affiliate link).
Give the same gift to more than one person
If you find a really nice product that will suit several people on your list, buy it in bulk. One year, I found a neutral but gorgeous makeup palette that would suit just about anyone. Several women on my gift list were delighted to receive them. Holiday shopping made easy indeed!
This can also work with things like cosy scarves and mittens. If you are on a budget, buy woollen scarves and mittens. Splashing out? Go for a cashmere scarf and/or leather gloves.
This is basically like holiday shopping in reverse – deciding on the gift(s) first, and matching them to the recipients on your gift list.
Another one of my top holiday shopping tips is to find one really nice mid-price hamper containing tea, cookies and treats that will suit several others on my list. Holiday shopping in multiples can be cheaper and if you order online and have things delivered it can be much less stressful. You can also consider bespoke hampers, made up to your requirements, both from speciality retailers and smaller local businesses.
Take advantage of free in store gift wrapping
Many cosmetic counters and speciality stores offer free gift wrapping to make holiday shopping even easier. I almost always ask – the worse thing they can do is say no! Just be sure to write your gift tags on the spot to avoid confusion. I sometimes pre-write gift tags and tuck them in my handbag to take with me when I go shopping.
Shop for the holidays all year round
If you see something that would make a great gift for someone – be it a holiday or birthday gift – and it is affordable, buy it on the spot. If it doesn’t fit into your budget at the time make a note of where it is and as soon as you can purchase it do so. I keep a gift drawer containing presents labelled with the recipients names and occasions. This is great way to spread the cost of holiday and other gift shopping. If you are feeling super organised you can wrap the presents in advance too. Just be sure to label them and keep them somewhere safe.
Holiday Shopping Tips – Gift Ideas
Give an experience
Afternoon tea, a spa treatment, restaurant gift certificates and travel or activity experiences can make holiday shopping easy and they are all welcome gifts. You can also buy courses and lessons to help your friends and family fulfil their dreams. With so many things happening online these days, location is no object. You can give singing lessons, cooking lessons and more!
If you are not a hundred percent sure what the person would like, you can often give gift cards that allow them some choice. You may think your friend wants to try sky diving, but if she doesn’t, it’s nice if there is an alternative experience she can choose.
Give flowers and plants
A pretty flower arrangement or planted basket makes a wonderful gift any time of the year, but especially at Christmas. Get in touch with your local florist for great ideas. If you live in Berkshire, I highly recommend the wonderful Green Parlour in Pangbourne. For friends and family further afield, I have had good experiences with Bloom and Wild.
Give to a charity on the gift recipient’s behalf
The perfect gift for the person who has everything, a donation to charity in their name can be just the thing. Many charities, like World Vision offer schemes where you can receive a small gift package to commemorate the gift for the person to unwrap. Some charities also sell gifts. Holiday shopping is easy with the gifts on offer at the Poppy Shop UK and The National Trust.
Buy a couple of emergency cards or gifts
Every year I choose a few gifts to have on hand ‘just in case’. Last year’s holiday shopping included two really nice sets of cheese knives tucked away along with a couple of bottles of wine and champagne in gift boxes. I also keep spare boxes of chocolates and a couple of gift cards on hand. Basically, there is something for everyone. If don’t use them all at Christmas, they will come in handy another time.
Giving is supposed to make you feel good too, so use my simple holiday shopping tips to transform holiday shopping from something stressful into a real pleasure. Happy Holidays!
Comments & Reviews
Great tips! Especially the reminder that it isn’t like you see in movies or magazines. Well, not much is really like that. Maybe if I had a staff of 50 people working for me. Hee hee. Thanks again for the tips. I know they’ll help me!
Oh, to have staff! That would make Christmas shopping so much easier 😉 Hope my tips do help, Debi 🙂
I love the idea of shopping in reverse – it actually sounds so much simpler so I might be trying that this year or the next!
Emmie xo
Unsigned, Me Blog ‖ http://www.unsignedmeblog.co.uk
It really can make things easier, Emmie! Hope it works for you as well as it does for me! xo
Dear April, Thanks a lot for dropping by. Glad you like my recipes.
Your holiday tips are very useful and interesting. I’m going to read all of them.
Cheers from Valencia.
Thank you so much, Marisa! It’s lovely to hear from you. I really appreciate your support of Hearth and Soul each week. With very best wishes!
What a wonderful reminder that magazines and stores manufacture an experience they think we should covet, instead of something authentic and heart-felt. There’s a fantastic shop here, The Container Store, and I admit I was unsettled recently when I visited and saw all the amazing (and expensive) products which were purely to wrap gifts in… and then be thrown away.
And what a great tip about being careful where you hide gifts, if you buy and wrap in advance. I just had a funny conversation with my Dad, trying to prompt him into remembering where he’d put something for Mum. We bought it in May, so I suppose “losing” it was fair enough. The errant present has, happily, been found!
Thank you so much, Pauline. I adore the Container Store but I agree, it seems a shame that pretty gift wrappings and containers are simply thrown away. I still save gift wrap, although it drives everyone nuts!
I’m very glad your Dad managed to find his gift for your Mum! The tip about hiding gifts came about as my husband’s late mum almost always ‘lost’ a gift for someone or other every Christmas, and would be quite upset she couldn’t find it on Christmas Day. It was very bittersweet when we found one she had wrapped up for my husband recently when we were clearing the family home after my father-in-law’s death. She’s been gone nearly two years now and I must admit, we all had a little cry!
These are great tips April. I hate spending too much money at Christmas!! Thanks for sharing at the weekend blog hop.
Thank you, Claire 🙂
Hello there April. Thanks for sharing these holiday shopping tips. They will come in really handy for me.
Visiting today from FF#19,20&21
I’m so glad they will help, Paula! Thank you for visiting 🙂
ON it and Ready for the festivities. I Have Been Working And Training A Lot Of New Faces And The Kitchen Is Calling, I Have Two Of Your Cakes On Order, and I just finished off cooking boneless prime Rib!
Take care and love the beautiful Family Photos!
Thank you so much, David! Take care!