This Wednesday: Tips for holiday shopping.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day.
This Wednesday: Tips for holiday shopping.

Yes, I know, I should have posted this list about four weeks ago. After each Christmas, I remember all the tips that I should've used to make my shopping easier. By the time the next Christmas rolls around, I've forgotten all my hard-won lessons. But not this time. I'm making a list, and checking it twice next December.

Here are my tips for holiday shopping--the ones I managed to follow did make my life a lot easier.

1. Keep a list. Starting in September, start keeping a written list of gift ideas.

2. Ask for suggestions. We all love the thrill of buying that perfect, unexpected gift. But it's such a rare pleasure; so often, surprise gifts don't work. It's okay to ask people what they'd like to get.

3. Ask questions. When people suggest gifts for themselves, make sure you know exactly what you'll be looking for. My father asked for socks. It wasn't until I was in a department store that I realized I didn't know much about his sock preferences. I knew he didn't want a pattern, but what length? what texture? thin or thick?

4. Make a call. If you're planning to make a special trip to pick up a particular item, it really pays to call first to make sure the store carries it.

5. Encourage collections. If people collect something, you can always buy the perfect gift. My mother buys me a Christmas ornament from an Alice in Wonderland series (this year: the Jabberwocky). The only trick is keeping track.

6. Carry your list. That list you've been working on for months? Don't leave it in your desk at the office.

Comments

[Jude]

As an agoraphobic, I avoid stores, so online shopping has made my life much easier. I did purchase some stocking stuffers at Target, but beyond that, I did all my shopping online. My kids each have a wish list in Amazon, but I ignore those--they're for people without imaginations (e.g., their fathers). I get my kids what I know they'll love but they didn't ask for. I hate receiving presents, so I only get one or two from my mother (who isn't retrainable about not giving me presents). I give the kids money to select presents for each other, and they enjoy that. I only purchase presents for my kids and my mother, so this system works for me.

[Kate]

If you keep a planner/journal/notebook of some kind, you can keep a running list all year of gift ideas. You can do this for yourself, too, so when other people follow tip 2, "ask for suggestions", you don't have to say, "uh...I can't think of anything...ask me later!"

[Mike S]

Not a bad idea to keep year 'round, no? It will work for birthdays too!

[Mad William Flint]

Not only is it ok to ask, you can still ask and surprise them by asking several months in advance.

I take this a step further and ask right AFTER Christmas. Yay PDAs :-)

[Kelly]

If you like to give surprise presents, ask someone close to the recipient. S/he can often wheedle ideas out of the person without being as obvious.