It is that time of year again where Christmas is waiting just around the corner. Stress levels rise as we attempt to start buying gifts for our loved ones. Questions swim around our heads as we try to choose something fitting. Will they like it? What if it is too small? What gift wrap shall I use? So many decisions! It just leaves me wanting to kick back and crack open a bottle of Bailey’s instead!
Fear not fellow stress heads, here are a few handy tips to get you through the festive season.
The Perfect Gift
It is not always possible to get every gift choice right. Perhaps that jumper for uncle bill is a tad too small or the bag you bought for mum has to be returned as she has received the exact same bag from somebody else. John Lewis has a solution to all of the above. They can provide you with gift receipts, an extended returns policy and even gift wrap it for you.
Allow Enough Time
Being more prepared will avoid rushing at the last minute. Make a note of the latest delivery slots from Royal Mail to ensure your gifts will get there on time. John Lewis can give you designated delivery slots too, so you will know exactly when your gift will arrive on the recipient’s doorstep.
Keep Useful Contact Numbers Close To Hand
Need to know when your favourite store closes? Or maybe need to check stock?
Contact Numbers UK has a vast amount of useful contact numbers. Get instant access to all of your favourite stores such as the contact number for John Lewis.
Don’t Over Spend
It is so easy to get caught up in the Hype at Christmas that spending can spiral out of control. Try not to overload credit cards or take out more finance than you can manage to repay. It will only end up with a new year of misery when you are drowning in debt. Go online and compare prices to get the very best deal and use cashback sites with every purchase.
Allocate time to wrap
Do not underestimate how much time it is going to take you to wrap all of these amazing presents that you have bought. In an ideal world, we would all own a C Pack Ltd wrapping machine and have all of your gifts wrapped in minutes. If you are not that lucky, just make sure that you have all of the tape, bows, ribbon, wrap and tags to hand, perhaps a glass of your favourite tipple and try to enjoy the whole experience of wrapping.
So don’t be stressed this Christmas. Be prepared, spend wisely and stock up with your favourite tipples. Jobs a good one! #OneLessWorry
*In collaboration with Contact Numbers UK*
I am not stressed at all about the Christmas shopping yet! I have a few things bought already and I’m waiting for the Black Friday sales to get the rest. I know a couple of weeks before Christmas I will start stressing, worrying if the girls have enough. lol #MMCB
We started our Christmas shopping a few months ago. Well, we kind of have too as our kids birthdays are October and November so there are lots of presents to buy over the 3 months.
It’s also amazingly difficult to buy for our son as most SEN toys are difficult to get or expensive, and being non verbal he can’t tell us what he wants.
Preparation is the key and starting early gets you prepared ?
Christmas shopping can be so stressful! Great tips – that’ll definitely try out. Thanks for sharing.
We keep everything as cheap as possible and I always buy the children’s presents in the summer. I can’t believe how much money went on unwanted presents! We need to get new Christmas decorations this year, so I think we will be going over the £29.
I’ve started doing all mine online as I hate the Christmas shop
I love Christmas shopping its so magical. It is also our eldest girls birthday in November…you are so right it is so important not to overspend. Thanks for sharing
Great tips! I think the allowing enough time and over spending go hand in hand for me! Last year I left so many gifts until the last minute and ended up over spending on things I didn’t really want! This year I’m determined to be more organised.
I am pretty much finished this year and I am so relieved. No panic buying this year. I just need to wrap it all now!
I have a very strict budget and stick to it. Great tips
I love Christmas shopping and everything about it, maybe not the crowds! Booked delivery slots – now you;re talking!
I’ve started collecting a few bits already – this is very unusual for me as I normally leave it to the last minute! Great tips x
I started my Christmas shopping back in the summer and am so relieved to say I am done! I hate the stress of it all ,I can’t face the shops these days!
We get stressed around Christmas. We think we have not got them much then end up spending more than we wanted to.
I have to write a list before I go otherwise I end up buying lots of things I didn’t really need x
Hi Jayne, I hate stressing about Christmas and do like to be pretty much sorted pressie wise by the end of November. Luckily there isn’t the buying frenzy here, so it’s easy not to get drawn into that. Living here too has helped keep my list down too as we can’t afford to post presents to everyone at Christmas, just to my sister and her family. It is shocking the amount of money that gets wasted at Christmas, that statistic alone should help people think before buying, but it’s not always that easy.
xx