HOME & GARDEN CONSUMER GUIDE
Spread Some Cheer by Shopping for Gifts Year Round
Recently while shopping for my son's Easter basket, I kept a watchful eye out for goodies to send to school for their class party. I spied a display for motivational books and thought: Wow, that would be a perfect Christmas gift for Grammy, and Aunt Sherry would love the audiotape version. Before I knew it, my shopping cart was full, and my holiday gift list was almost completed before it began. Not bad for mid-April!
What does this have to do with getting organized, you ask? It's yet another way to implement my favorite time-management tool: multi-tasking or doing more than one thing at a time.
Our mothers and grandmothers knew about year-round shopping and gift giving. Many of their gifts were handcrafted, and they couldn't decide to knit an afghan or sew a quilt the week before someone's birthday; they had a plan and followed a schedule. For those lucky enough to give store-bought gifts, frugality often played a major role. The budget could be managed by planning for gifts year round, setting aside a few dollars each month for gifts.
Perhaps you don't need to budget your family's money, but you need to budget your shopping time. I think you will find one or two of the tips below useful in your own gift-giving system:
- Making a List and Checking it Twice. As with any project that's worthwhile, you need a good plan. Create a list of people you need to buy gifts for, the type of occasion, the date of the occasion, and some gift suggestions. If you need particular hints such as favorite books, music, wine selections, or shirt size, then make a note of these too. Store the list on your computer to streamline the process by creating it only once, rather than over and over again each year. Keep a copy in your planner or wallet for quick reference. (Tip: listen for hints and write them down as soon as you receive them)
- Tis the Season. Stay ahead of the season by looking beyond your calendar and following the retailers' lead. Today you may be wearing long-sleeved shirts and a jacket, but summer clothes are already on display in the malls and catalogs. Take advantage of the newly stocked shelves. Shop the pre-season sales. Stay one step ahead of the crowd by thinking like a merchandiser, planning your purchases carefully.
- It's the Thought that Counts. Making homemade gifts for giving is not just for college students or cubscouts. For the boss who has everything, give him a handcrafted gift this year - I promise you that it will truly be one of a kind. The people on your gift list are getting increasingly more difficult to buy for; when they need something, they usually buy it for themselves. Consider buying them something they really need but won't give themselves, like time. Offer to baby-sit their kids, wash or detail their car, deliver a home-cooked meal- use your imagination to give a gift beyond the silk tie or silver shoe horn executive gift this year. You have 365 days to think about it.
Many of these tips apply not only to winter holidays but also year round: birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Valentine's Day, and religious holidays. Think out of the box this year, and produce a unique gift from the heart that shows you put some thought and energy into it. Both your heart and wallet will benefit from the fullness of your thoughtfulness. And you won't have to stare at another addition to the paperweight collection on your boss's desk the day after his birthday.
About the Author: Debbie Williams is an author, speaker and organizing strategist who offers tools and training to help you put your life in order. Learn more at
http://www.organizedtimes.com
