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Here’s How To Get All Your Holiday Shopping Done With Only A Few Weeks To Go!

Leaving your Christmas shopping to the last-minute is not a good idea. If you are like me, you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet. Wondering how you will get that done with all the other things you need to do? I am not concerned about getting my shopping done this year. I know just how to do it and will let you in on the secrets of how you can shop smarter and faster than Santa.

Oh yes! It is so easy. By following this strategy, you can have all your shopping done in 2 hours flat! Actually, I think I will be able to do in less time than that.

So, instead of aimlessly buying presents and draining your wallet, use this shopping guide to cross everything off your list in a single day. Avoid the stress and pressure that commercialism creates around Christmas shopping.

Here’s What You Should Think About First

Before you get going, have breakfast. I know they say shop til you drop, but it isn’t necessary. Dress not only for comfort but with style. I noticed that when I go shopping looking like I just rolled out of bed; it makes me want to try on new things, so I end up spending more. Do you ever feel the same?

When you walk by that mirror in the store a give yourself a little, “umm hmm honey, yes! I am working it to-day!”

Now, let me help you shop smarter and faster.

If you don’t have the ScanLife app, download it now. This app will help you shop smarter and faster. Just scan a product’s barcode and it will let you know what store, both local and online has the best price. You can start saving money before you leave the house!

How Can You Shop Smarter and Faster? Here’s The Secret!

Theme Shopping!  Yes! Isn’t it just a fantastic idea?

See, when you decide on a theme for gifts, you can go through shopping so much faster.

You decide on a theme and it helps you shop faster and smarter because you have direction and focus.

Whether you are shopping for your son, daughter, mother, great-grandma, it doesn’t matter.

Once you have selected your theme, you can think about what gift from that category you want to purchase. All you need to do is choose specific and unique gifts your family will love.

You can make this a great and fun project without breaking the bank. You don’t want to make your theme “socks”. That would just suck and you won’t enjoy the process.

Make sure your theme is a little broader. I have put together suggestions for you that will allow you to shop faster than those reindeers could ever go.

Here Are Five Themes To Help You Shop Smarter And Faster For Friends, Family, And Colleagues

1. Wall Art Make For Great Presents

You do not have to be some creative mastermind DIY superpower for this. There are lots of beautiful prints you can get. I love having wall art, paintings, quotes, and pictures on the walls in our home.

This is a great theme as the wall art does not need to be Christmassy.

Wall Art can be gifted to any age range. Here are some I love.

2. Photos Always Make Great Memory Gifts

Well obviously. Tis the season for the selfies, falalalala – la – la – la – la!

Photos are ALWAYS a lovely gift! Especially for family members. If you are gifting pictures to friends or colleagues, do not gift them a selfie or a picture of just you in it. #awkward

Frame a nice picture of a group of you together. I have a picture of myself and four friends I went to Barcelona with. That is an example of a picture I would gift one or all of them, along with something else. You can gift the same picture, in similar looking frames to each of the friends in it. You will all have lasting memories captured in that shot. Get the picture? LOL. Again, another easy way to shop smarter and faster.

Get all the frames in a single store, and as many copies of the picture as you need.

3. Books, Books, And More Books!

I love to read so I love to be gifted books and to give them as presents too. I could spend hours on end in a bookstore if only I had the time. When choosing books as a gift, you may need to exercise patience. It is important to gift a book the person will actually read.

If you have a friend who loves John Grisham books, find out which ones they haven’t read yet. Another loves cooking? Get a cookbook. Have a creative mind in your friend group? The War of Art is an amazing read! Has someone you know recently embraced a minimalist lifestyle? Get them a beginners guide book.

The limit is endless and you can do this in an hour. If you want to shop smarter and faster than Santa, you can have the list ready prior to going to the bookstore and be done in 20 minutes.

I personally love this book: 52 Lists for Happiness Journal but here are some other suggestions to help you with brainstorming.

4. Accessories For Him And Her

This is by far the toughest and likely most expensive of the five themes. Accessories for women and men are easy to find, but oh so hard to choose the right one.

Anyone who knows me well knows I love bags! You can never have enough handbags. I also love silver or white gold earrings, and scarves. All kinds of scarves!

For women, a scarf will always work. So what about accessories for men? When I think of accessories for men, the first things that come to mind are watches, glasses, ties, wallets, belts. The choices however, are greater than that.

This brings me back to themes. If “he” is a whiskey drinker, or car fanatic, then get items surrounding those themes. Ones he will actually use and be thankful for. Look for items that are unique.

I say you can shop smarter and faster if you divide and conquer. Go to one store and get items for him, then to another and get items for her. Write down what you plan on purchasing before you leave the house.

Focus on two stores, and have one extra as a backup if you don’t find something in one.

What do think of this unique Slim Charging Wallet?

5. Monogrammed Gifts

Easy peasy to get this done. Just make sure it is not too corny. You can pretty much monogram anything these days, right? Figure out what item you wish to purchase and have it personalized. Get your creative juices flowing by thinking about style, colours and fonts. This should be lots of fun and makes for a unique gift.

Little Things To Remember When You Want To Shop Smarter And Faster

So now that you know how to gift by theme, and shop smarter and faster this year, you have nothing to worry about.

Remember to buy less expensive stuff first. Once you spend on something costly, your brain loses perspective on what’s a good price. I hate standing in lines, so when possible, pay for your items in less crowded areas of the store. The men’s section is almost always next to empty so I tend to navigate to that there.

Waiting in long lines in the women and kids section only makes me spot things I had no intention of buying.

Try not to take credit cards with you. Decide on an amount that won’t hurt your pocket and spend no more than that. There are way too many sales going on for you to overspend.

Whatever you do, don’t take your toddler to Toys“R”Us. I learned the hard way. Try shopping alone so you don’t feed off ideas of others and what they think you should be getting.

All done! Christmas shopping completed, you know how to shop smarter and faster, so now you can focus on your plans for the holiday.

Are you having family and friends over? Have you started shopping,  or already done?

Will you be trying out theme gifting? I’d love to know.

Share your thoughts and plans with me in the comments section below.

Happy Shopping!