Christmas Shopping in the Summer?

If you read the title of this post and thought “Christmas shopping already?”, you have not mastered the fine art of shopping for gifts.

The time to do gift shopping is whenever there is a sale on something your giftee would like. If you wait until two weeks before whatever holiday or occasion you are celebrating, you are going to pay way too much money for a hasty gift.

Early in the year, take stock of the gifts that you will need to buy throughout the year (Birthdays, Graduations, Weddings, Holidays…) and the next time you find yourself browsing the clearance section or sales, look for an appropriate gift. While you are at it, you might want to consider picking up an extra generic gift or two for those awkward times when you find yourself in an unexpected gift exchange.

And while you are off buying gifts, stock up on holiday wrapping paper in the weeks after the holidays, when it’s 75% off. If you find yourself without appropriate gift wrap, stop in a dollar store for cheap gift bags (nothing wrong with solid colors), tissue paper, and all the other trappings of a nicely presented gift. There’s no reason to buy a $5 bow when you can make 100 of them from a $2 spool of ribbon.

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