Reducing Christmas Shopping Stress

Okay, I have to confess I LOVE shopping. But Christmas shopping just wears me out. Every year I say, "Okay, this will be the year I'll be finished ahead of time and on budget." Every year I prove myself wrong and rush out with all the other crazy procrastinators in search of that perfect gift on you guessed it, Christmas Eve. And don't even get me started about the budget and how many bills will just have to wait for the next paycheck to roll around. Well the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem right? So I've admitted it Christmas is becoming a chore and not a fun filled holiday. I will not allow Christmas shopping to control me anymore. Second step is change. So that's the goal for next year...make some changes so that Christmas can be enjoyable and stress free once again. After all we're supposed to be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ not racing to the Christmas finish line to see who will come out a winner...the store or the pocket book.

So here's the steps I'm taking now to make next year a better Christmas shopping year. First of all, I am going to shrink down my list. Why am I still purchasing meaningless gifts for family members I hardly know and rarely see? Strike, they're off the list. I will be suggesting we take out the gift exchange at that family gathering. Why am I spending money to ship gifts to people that I will not get to see open the gifts and the look on their face when they open that item I shopped long and hard for? Strike, they're off the list. Siblings, as much as I love buying for them I think I'm going to suggest we draw names, and set a price limit. Strike three more off the list. Teachers will be cut back to only homeroom teachers, strike six more off the list. And I'm going to resist the urge to bring small gifts to my husband's co-workers as they'll just get thrown away in the near future anyhow. Strike twelve more off. Done, list cut back by approximately thirty. Nice job!

Now that the list is MUCH shorter it should make life a little easier. Second step to the Christmas shopping recovery is get it done early to avoid overspending and crowded malls. I will start early and try my best to purchase one gift a paycheck until November comes around. I will be a religious clearance shopper especially for toys right after Christmas. In November I will be setting back money for Black Friday (a holiday in itself) and will finish the odds and ends on this day. What is not purchased by that time does not need to be purchased.

Third step is wrapping it up, literally. Wrap up the gifts as I please seeing that now the shopping is all done there is plenty of time to wrap and enjoy holiday activities in my neighborhood. Next year will be less stressful and more enjoyable. I will have more time to spend with the most important thing in my life...family. My stress level will be much lower and I will be a more enjoyable person because of it.

So I know, I know, it's too late for this year, BUT if you are having the Christmas shopping blues right along with me then let's take these steps together next year and see how much easier and more enjoyable Christmas can be. Keep your fingers crossed for me, as I'll do the same for you.