B Minor
Christmas is one of my favourite time of the year but I hate being in shopping centres during November and December when the mad rush is on so I have created a system that avoids this issue.
***You can start shopping as early as January for younger children but if they are older you may need to wait until later in the year due to their forever changing minds.)
- Create a “Christmas” file on your device, (phone, ipad PC etc)
- Whenever you are at the shops with your child/children and they ask for something, take a picture of them in front of the toy that they like and tell them that it will go on their Christmas list for Santa. Make sure you include the price tag next to the toy and some kind of clue as to what shop you are in so that when you are looking back on the pics that you know where it comes form. Then simply add the pics to the “Christmas” File. (This process not only makes shopping for them easier but can also alleviate any whinging about not getting the toy that they want.)
- Ask your children to circle all the toys that they like from catalogues such a Target, Big W, Kmart, Myer etc. For children who are capable, get them to cut and paste all of the things that they want in order from most wanted to least wanted.
- Go through their lists and find which store sells them for the cheapest price. Choose the toy at the top of their list if in budget and then add as many of the cheap things as possible as they make great stocking fillers until you have reached your budget.
- Once you have found out which shops sell the items for the cheapest price, make a list for each individual shop and off you go, it’s that simple.
***To save disappointment, don’t leave it too long between making the list and shopping as prices regularly change and products often sell out. Also make sure that you leave enough time for internet purchases to arrive.
- Once you have purchased the items, separate them in to each child’s pile, wrap them and double bag them and/or store them in storage containers in a safe place where your children will not see them. I write codes on the front of the bags and containers so that I know which gifts belong to which child, (if I wrote their names on them, they would become suspicious)
- After you have finished shopping, you can pass on the list with the left over presents to friends and family so that they can purchase the rest.
***To avoid people buying the same gifts, be sure to find out who is buying what or simply give a few ideas to each person.
Once you have done all of this, you can relax enjoy the ride that is Christmas.
You may also like to read:
How to Get Christmas Sorted Early, Stress-Free!
