How to Organize Your Holiday Shopping

The holidays bring dazzles of glitter and gold, dreams of white snow and much needed time to enjoy with those you love.

The holidays also bring stress, chaos and an endless list of things to do. Over the years, I have fine-tuned my process for holiday shopping so I can manage it quickly and easily and without hardly any stress! I can do it on a budget or start shopping early to spread out the costs. No matter what your approach is, my method can work for you.

I use a simple spreadsheet that helps me remember everyone on my list and keep track of where things are in the process. I use google sheets which has a handy app that is simple to use on your phone. The Apple Notes app or even a written list works great too! Here is the process:

Step 1: Add everyone that I plan to give a gift to that year to the spreadsheet. Examples are your immediate family, extended family, friends, neighbors, teachers, or even if you need a hostess gift or a white elephant gift for a holiday party. Getting it all into your list will help you avoid any last minute scrambling.

PRO TIP: Keep it simple. Do what is manageable for you and your family considering time and budget. 

Step 2: Enter in your gift ideas making sure to include links for things you plan to purchase.

PRO TIP: For things that take need to be personalized, may run out of stock or take a long time to ship, plan to buy these gifts early. For everything else, take advantage of holiday sales to get the best possible price.

Step 3: Use the checkboxes to keep track of where each gift is in the process. Check each item off once it is purchased. Then give it a final check once the gift is wrapped and ready! I have a designated space in my home where I store the wrapped gifts. I label each tag with who the gift is for and if it is for Christmas Eve, I will put that on the tag so it is easy to find.

PRO TIP: Wrap things as they arrive. If you wrap a little bit at a time, you will be able to sit back, watch a great holiday movie and drink a delicious cup of hot cocoa instead of stressing on Christmas eve.

*I like to have a column with last year's gifts so I remember what I did and can come up with new ideas for this year.

This method has been a game changer for our family! No more forgotten gifts or last minute stress. We keep it organized, clutter free and relaxed for the most enjoyable holiday season.

Good luck!
Sabrina