Tips for Stress Free Holiday Shopping

San Diego, CA, November 20, 2007 --(PR.com)-- It’s holiday shopping season again. It’s that time of year when sitting in traffic and battling for a parking space at the mall becomes an all day event. Did you know that the average American spends 13 hours holiday shopping and an additional 3 hours wrapping gifts? What ever happened to the holidays being a time to wind down and relax?

Below are some tips to help you have a stress free holiday shopping experience:

Plan your gift list.
Make a list of people and the gifts you plan to purchase including the prices. This will help you avoid impulse purchases and spend countless hours wandering from store to store to find the “perfect gift.” Making a list will also help you stay within your budget. (Another tip: Bring cash to avoid a surprise credit card statement in January.)

Avoid peak shopping hours.
Shop earlier during the day or first thing on Saturday or Sunday morning to avoid the crowds during the week and late risers on the weekend. You can also try shopping later in the evening since most stores will have extended holiday hours.

Take Advantage of Gift Wrapping Services.
Many stores now offer complimentary gift wrapping with your purchase. Another option offered at most shopping malls is the gift wrapping tables set up by volunteers. They will wrap your gifts for a small fee, with the proceeds going to charity.

Shop Online.
The number of people that shop online for holiday gifts is staggering. Although shopping on the web may seem like the ultimate solution for avoiding the crowds, it can very easily lead to countless hours of unproductive web surfing. In order to avoid getting distracted online, make sure to give yourself a predetermined number of hours to shop online and stick to your time budget.

California Errands
www.CaliforniaErrands.com
858-909-9038

California Errands provides personal concierge and time management services for busy professionals in San Diego, CA.

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