I like to get the best deals possible on Christmas presents. That doesn't mean I'm cheap, it means that I shop smart. The biggest way in which I am able to stick to a strict budget is by shopping year-round. I primarily shop when things on clearance at the end of a season, when I have a coupon, or when there is an amazing sale.
This method usually works beautifully for me, but last year, packing for a trip to India with a 10 month old, plus a month's worth of additional travel, AND Emerson's first Christmas left me totally frazzled & I ended up forgetting tons of presents & had to run out to purchase things on Christmas Eve (immediately after flying 15 hours from Mumbai). Yikes.
After we arrived home from our tour-de-Christmas-disaster, I knew I had to come up with a better method. Enter my linen closet: I have carefully sorted & organized all of this years presents by person into labeled bags. I also have 2 little bins with presents with no know destination at the moment just in case I were to forget & need a last minute gift. It has been a HUGE time saver & money saver & I plan on continuing this practice in the future.
I really think that shopping year-round is the best way to purchase thoughtful gifts, while saving money...as long as you don't forget where you put the presents!
This method usually works beautifully for me, but last year, packing for a trip to India with a 10 month old, plus a month's worth of additional travel, AND Emerson's first Christmas left me totally frazzled & I ended up forgetting tons of presents & had to run out to purchase things on Christmas Eve (immediately after flying 15 hours from Mumbai). Yikes.
After we arrived home from our tour-de-Christmas-disaster, I knew I had to come up with a better method. Enter my linen closet: I have carefully sorted & organized all of this years presents by person into labeled bags. I also have 2 little bins with presents with no know destination at the moment just in case I were to forget & need a last minute gift. It has been a HUGE time saver & money saver & I plan on continuing this practice in the future.
I really think that shopping year-round is the best way to purchase thoughtful gifts, while saving money...as long as you don't forget where you put the presents!
Totally agree, we shop all year around for Christmas. With 4 kiddos we have to or we would be broke in November and December!
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Oh please, don't remind me Christmas is coming. My problem is I can't think of what to get for people on my list, even as small as it is. Hopefully inspiration will hit me soon. - Margy
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