Shopping for 40 kids, friends, and family can get really stressful. No, those 40 gifts are not for charity. They’re not for my kids’ class either. They’re for my children’s friends, and our friends’ kids — the closest ones! The ones we hang out almost every weekend. So to maintain my sanity during the holidays, I follow some basic guidelines, I call my mom tips for holiday shopping.
- I make a list. I have a spreadsheet keeping track of each family, friend, and kids. I wouldn’t want to miss anybody close so before Thanksgiving, I check and update it since that list keeps growing every year. This list has been trimmed down, by the way.
- I have a budget in place. I do have a long list so holiday shopping can get really expensive. Setting a budget and sticking to what I can afford is not only a huge time-saver but keeps me out of debt.
- I shop early. Dealing with crowds add to stress so I try to shop early and get it done by Thanksgiving. I still have to deal with wrapping it all up so last minute gift shopping for everyone in my case would not be possible.
- I shop online. I find a lot of good deals online so I try to buy as much as I can from sites I trust. This is not only a huge time saver for me but keeps me from dealing with crowds, and keeps my budget in place. Some of them includes gift wrapping, though I prefer to wrap the gifts myself.
And speaking of wrapping gifts, I just got done with wrapping gifts for the kids. Whooo-hoooo! Wrapping 40 gifts is a huge milestone for me. I was so happy that I took a picture of our christmas tree. My hubby even took me out to Ruby Tuesday for some crab cake burger!
Now, on to the other gifts! 
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[...] I wouldn’t want to miss anybody close so before Thanksgiving , I check and update it since that list keeps growing every year. This list has been trimmed down, by the way. I have a budget in place. I do have a long list so holiday …[Continue Reading] [...]