Holiday Gift Giving and Shipping Tips

Summer has gone, autumn has arrived. This is when I start thinking about the holidays. Through the years I have gotten less and less stressed out because I have made myself understand that no matter what I do or don't do, it really doesn't matter.

I have two granddaughters who need to understand that, yes I will do my best to make their holiday season a fun one and no, money does not grow on trees. I got a holiday catalog in the mail a week ago looked through it and knew that I could do virtually all my holiday gift giving from that catalog. The items in the catalog are unique, the prices are reasonable and the shipping costs are less than what I would pay to travel out of town.

My motto is: "If I can find it locally, I will purchase it locally." The nearest towns with any decent shopping are 200 miles east or west. I will do a day trip to go shopping but I am still purchasing the gas, the wear and tear on my vehicle, meals away from home, impulse purchases, fighting crowds of people and so on. I also have a problem with going into stores where products are piled from floor to ceiling, the aisles are narrow and the carts are big. My husband loves to shop which means he is the one who does most of the grocery shopping in the family. When he was working, I went to the grocery store. When he retired from work, I retired from grocery shopping and he gladly took over.

Because we live in a rural area, catalogs and online shopping are my main ways of purchasing gifts. I mainly purchase for the four little girls who are my mother's great-grandchildren. The oldest is 12 the youngest is 3 and I love buying for kids. I want them to have gifts that they will remember came from grandma or "great" aunt Kris, depending on who we are talking about.

When the holiday catalog arrived my oldest granddaughter took it home, looked through it for a week then returned it to me with a list of about 20 things she wants from the catalog. My oldest daughter wants 5 items. My youngest granddaughter didn't bother looking through it and my youngest daughter only really wants one thing from the catalog.

If I'm going to give tip number 1 it would be: If you live in a rural area, like I do, shop locally as much as possible. Glendive has a few clothing stores but they all seem to sell the same brands. That bothers me so my number one suggestion would be for local stores to sell a variety of brands. My number one online store for clothing is J. C. Penney at www.jcp.com. I have been wearing clothing from "Jacque Penne" since I was a child. Their clothing fits me and lasts a long time. I have shoes that I have had for 10 years and they are still looking good. I wear them almost every day and when I am asked where I got them I don't hesitate to tell that they are 10 years old. A number of years ago I was going to purchase a piece of furniture from Penneys. It was a really good price on sale and I was something I needed. I ordered it and a few days later received a phone call from a woman at Penney's who said the shipping charges were going to be more than the price of the item, did I still want it? I thanked her for her honesty and declined the purchase.

Tip Number 2: If you like unique gifts which are from your childhood check out www.vermontcountrystore.com. Their prices are a little high, but their products are built for wear and tear. Their "brands from the past" section features items like beeman's and black jack chewing gum. I like the "bon ami" cleaning products. My stove is a porcelain top stove and the best cleaner for it other than baking soda is bon ami. Check out the toys, books and hobbies part of their brands from the past and relive your or your children's younger years. The best thing about many of these toys is that they are kid powered, no need to use batteries.

Tip Number 3: If you have to drive to many different places to do your shopping, you are using up gas dollars. Translate those gas dollars to shipping charges and the charges for shipping it directly to your home or the gift recipients home is less. I have heard so many people whine about the cost of shipping. No, no, no....it costs less to ship it to you than for you to go shop for it.

Tip Number 4: If you are an impulse purchaser the best thing you can do is stay away from stores or malls. Retailers hire people to make it easy for you to part with your hard earned moola. That is why all the clearance items are at the back of the store. You have to walk past all the cute, current items to reach the clearance items, which have been picked over and are in disarray. One thing you might do is take whatever items you are wanting to purchase and drape them over your arm as you wander through the various parts of the store. When you are ready to leave, look at what is on your arm and decide if you truly need these items or if you just want them. Also, do you want to take them home, remove the tags, make room in your closet or dresser drawers, fold and/or hang them up? Is it worth it? And the biggest question...can you afford it?

Tip Number 5: If you cannot afford it; if you cannot pay for it with cash or a check..don't use a credit card. Save yourself the grief, angst and stress of paying interest on items you couldn't pay for with cash. If you truly need it, and can't pay for it with cash, find out if the store has a layaway policy. At least you're not paying interest on it and you will eventually receive the item. You might even make friends with the store clerks and ask them if the items are going to go on sale and if they are, when?

Tip Number 6: If you can't afford it and you don't know how to tell the kids, be honest and upfront. Just inform them that money is tight this year and how do they want to celebrate the holidays. One of the things my children and granddaughters look forward to is their dad (grandpa's) version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas." He adds his own parts to the story and, of course, by now they know what he's going to say. I'll give you a clue: "And out on the lawn there arose such a clatter; I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter." (Grandpa)....Mom get the gun! There's a nut out here on the lawn! That's is just one example. If the kids know that money doesn't grow on trees, there are many, many ways of entertaining. Another tradition is watching "It's a Wonderful Life" every year. The kids don't need toys to know you love them.

Tip Number 7: When my granddaughters were old enough to realize that they didn't have any way of earning money to purchase a gift for their mom and dad I told them that all the change we save through the year could be used by them to purchase presents for their parents and each other. They do not have to purchase for anyone else. Each year the change and, sometimes, dollar bills, go into a large jar. We just keep adding to it through the year and around the first of December we count the money and divide by the number of people receiving gifts with that money. I have been really surprised by the amount. The most we ever had was close to $300.00!

I suggest you start doing this. It helps teach your children that they can save up for something. Just train yourself to add coins and leave the jar alone until the money needs to be counted.

Tip Number 8: Are you friends with people who have children the same ages as yours? Are their children tired of their toys and are your children tired of theirs? Why not have a toy exchange or even a clothing exchange? There are also online exchange sites like www.craigslist.com or www.craigslist.org and www.titletrader.com for books, tapes, videos, etc.

Tip Number 9: Are you interested in free items? Run down to your local library and get a library card. Libraries aren't just about books anymore. They have free use of computers, dvd's, cd's, books on tape or cd and, yes, the current list of best sellers. Why not take your child to the library and have the library employees show you around, you will be amazed.

Tip Number 10: Second hand items from a consignment shop can be a terrific, unique gift. I have purchased wedding gifts at antique stores and written a special note to the couple informing them that at their 50th anniversary the item will truly be an antique. Also, if you have heard someone reminisce about something they had in their younger years, you might be able to find it in a second hand type store. How about buying a favorite vinyl Beatles or Rolling Stones album. The look on the recipients face is worth it.

Finally, I have purchased items on online auction sites, but I'm a bit leery of them, also. I am never sure if the item I am purchasing is a stolen item, therefore, be very careful about online auctions. Find out all the information about the seller as you can, contact previous clients of the seller and don't impulse buy!!!