Purchase One Gift Each Week

While this topic may not be on your mind today, it’s not a bad idea!  My personal goal is to purchase at least one Christmas gift each week, from now until the beginning of December, spreading out the expense and saving my sanity.  I haven’t followed this plan in the past and have ended up inflicting a lot of stress upon myself!  (Last year’s shopping involved a late night trip, late in December, to a Walmart located an hour from my house for the last Barbie Dream House in the entire state of New Jersey!)

Purchase a Christmas Notebook or Holiday Organizer

Buy a little notebook and start jotting down gift ideas, and as you make purchases, cross them off your list.  Keep a special envelope for receipts.  Another notebook option is the Holiday Receipt Organizer available from gooseberrypatch.com for $6.95.  This purse sized, spiral bound book is filled with spaces for lists and pockets for receipts.  You could also use the pockets for coupons!

Find Clever Hiding Places

As your collection of gifts begins to grow, you may need to find a great hiding spot!  Try one of my favorite ideas – I stow gifts away in a suitcase under my bed or in a Rubbermaid bin in the attic labeled with a tag like “outgrown shoes” or “extra linens!”  Both of these hiding places have worked well!

Purchase Gift Cards Along the Way

If you don’t have specific gift ideas in mind, consider purchasing gift cards each week for stores that you know you’ll be shopping at later, like Target or Toys r Us.  Keep the gift cards in a safe place and use them in December when you’ve finalized your shopping list.  It’s like a holiday savings account, just in the form of gift cards!

I hope that I’ve inspired you to get a jump start on that holiday shopping list today!  Do you have a great idea for managing your Christmas shopping?  I’d love to hear!