Avoid Last Minute Christmas Shopping

For those of you who wait till the 24th to buy your gifts and cooking supplies, here are some solutions to pull back from the brink and start making your Christmas gift choices earlier and with a great deal less panic!

Steps

 * 1) List and plan. Draw up a list well in advance of the Christmas season. In fact, the best time of year to start is often after Christmas itself, when you have a list of 'things you should have gotten' running through your mind.[[Image:Avoid Last Minute Christmas Shopping Step 1.jpg|center]]
 * 2) *Note the likes of various people you like to purchase gifts for.
 * 3) *Decide early on if you're going to make things for them or not.
 * 4) *Put your list and plan somewhere easy to access and where you won't forget it. Consider making a few copies, one for the car, one for your bag, one for the desk drawer, etc.
 * 5) Prepare throughout the year. If you're purchasing items, keep a keen eye on all sales throughout the year. Even summer stock is fine for someone who is mad keen on summer sports and activities, provided it will still be fashionable, useful, or fit for the following summer.[[Image:Avoid Last Minute Christmas Shopping Step 2.jpg|center]]
 * 6) *Commence handmade projects early on so that they can be completed in time and you don't need to join the crowds looking for missing parts to finish it with.
 * 7) Plan meals well in advance. Provided you know what you want to cook for the day or evening, you can order even fresh items in advance and all you'll have to do is collect them on the day or the day before. Even better, find somewhere happy to deliver your grocery items to you in time for cooking and baking.[[Image:Avoid Last Minute Christmas Shopping Step 3.jpg|center]]
 * 8)  Encourage other family members to shop earlier rather than leaving things until the last-minute. That way, everyone can feel more rested.[[Image:Avoid Last Minute Christmas Shopping Step 4.jpg|center]]
 * 9) *Plan a special family shopping trip one weekend in the lead-up to Christmas. Suggest that you all make a day of it, share the travel and have lunch together at a central point and go home together. This approach can encourage everyone to get the shopping organized well in advance and you can all support one another!

Tips

 * Buy your Christmas tree at least one week ahead of time, so that the decorating is out of the way and adding to the festive spirit.
 * Use layaway for big-ticket items, to avoid credit charges and nasty bills!

Things You'll Need

 * Pad and pen
 * Copies of list
 * Place to stash gifts carefully throughout the year

Related wikiHows

 * Get Into the Spirit of Christmas when You Don't Feel It Any More
 * Be Full of Christmas Spirit
 * Pick out a Christmas Tree
 * Celebrate an Old Fashioned Christmas
 * Find a Family to Help This Christmas
 * Do Last Minute Christmas Shopping