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How to survive Xmas Shopping etc.
by Alison Burford
Christmas is a festive time of year, full of good time and cheer........ or is it?
Are you forever buying presents and forgetting where you put them or who they are for, so you end up with two presents for your granny and none for your niece?
Do you accept a party invite, only to get home to find it clashes with a family dinner?
Don't worry you are not alone. Lots of people struggle with the extra organisation that Christmas creates, you are not alone.
To help me get through the trauma of Christmas shopping, I make a list of who I have to buy for and what I am going to get. (In the past I have avoided lists and ended up with presents I didn't need to buy and could have saved myself some money.) I then buy one or two things every lunchtime, (one of the advantages of working in a town centre), this way I don't have to deal with lots of crowds and long queues of stressed people. When I get home, I put a post-it note with who it is for on the present and put it in a box I have especially for Christmas presents. I then tick the person of my list. In a couple of weeks I'm usually have my shopping done without too much hassle. Internet shopping is also a great way of finding unusual present and avoiding the shops. Its also a great way to get all your grocery shopping done.
Christmas is a festive time of year, full of good time and cheer........ or is it?
Are you forever buying presents and forgetting where you put them or who they are for, so you end up with two presents for your granny and none for your niece?
Do you accept a party invite, only to get home to find it clashes with a family dinner?
Don't worry you are not alone. Lots of people struggle with the extra organisation that Christmas creates, you are not alone.
To help me get through the trauma of Christmas shopping, I make a list of who I have to buy for and what I am going to get. (In the past I have avoided lists and ended up with presents I didn't need to buy and could have saved myself some money.) I then buy one or two things every lunchtime, (one of the advantages of working in a town centre), this way I don't have to deal with lots of crowds and long queues of stressed people. When I get home, I put a post-it note with who it is for on the present and put it in a box I have especially for Christmas presents. I then tick the person of my list. In a couple of weeks I'm usually have my shopping done without too much hassle. Internet shopping is also a great way of finding unusual present and avoiding the shops. Its also a great way to get all your grocery shopping done.
At home I also have a big calendar and write all my appointments, parties, meetings, events etc, on it and always tell someone that I have to check the calendar before I confirm anything. Whilst this may look like you are stalling to your friend who has just invited you to Sunday lunch, its less embarrassing than saying yes and having to cancel as your are already going somewhere else. I used to hate the hassle of writing things on the calendar until I realised how much easier life was when I did and how much less I had to remember.
I hope you find these tips helpful you have a happy stress-ish free and festive season.
