Despite sales and holiday deals, the one thing that’s often lacking at the end of the year is time. We spend tons of time finding good deals on gifts or prepping the essentials for our holiday feasts. If you find yourself struggling to enjoy the festivities because of an over-cramped calendar, try using some of these strategies to streamline your holidays:

Avoid the Line, Go Digital

Whenever possible, go after the deals that don’t require you to leave the house. Though you may personally enjoy spending a few afternoons bustling between various department stores, physically searching for gifts, ingredients, or whatever else you may need can become a steep time-sink. Always consult your trusty search engine before braving the snow.

Coupons

Nobody likes paying full price on a new piece of tech or a snuggly coat. Luckily, we live in the digital age where couponing has become automated. Apps like Honey, Groupon, and Ibotta are a marvel of the modern world and an easy, but often overlooked, way to save your holiday budget from taking too big a hit.

Schedule Your Shopping

One of the best ways to manage your time is to bust out the managing skills. If you find yourself in need of more time to scour the globe (or at least the neighborhood) for a specific item, consider mapping out the hours you have available. This will keep you from spending too much time wandering the aisles.

Get Thrifty

One person’s junk is another person’s vintage t-shirt. This time of year opens the gates on the inventory of private sellers and secondhand stores. If nothing you’re seeing in person or online quite matches what your looking for, it’s times to hit up your local thrift or vintage store to find a truly unique gift.

Take Up a Craft

Lots of functional gifts such as socks or coffee mugs can be made much more personal with a little time and artistic know how. While this option can be more time consuming for a novice, crafting simple gifts in place of purchasing them is a great way to ease the burden on your wallet and get your creativity flowing.

Gifted in Other Ways

Thoughtfulness and gratitude are mainstays of the season, and there are more ways to communicate this than with presents or a well-cooked turkey. If you cannot cross everything off your list, consider spending your remaining time and resources on things that will enliven the celebratory atmosphere like nice décor or a themed activity, like a White Elephant gift exchange. Another option is to opt for a meaningful experience, rather than more “stuff.”

With a little planning and a few of the tricks above, you’ll be sure to have a much easier time navigating the holiday shopping landscape. Remember, it’s not about what you give, but who you’re giving to.

Leave a Reply