Your One-Day Holiday Shopping Plan!

Do you have your Christmas shopping done? If not, don’t sweat it. Procrastinators and over-achievers alike, this article will suit you all! Here is your one-stop shop to getting all of your holiday shopping done in one day. Are you up for the challenge?

8:00am - Start early and eat sensibly! Choose a breakfast that is high in fiber and protein, such as oatmeal made with skim milk and almonds. This will keep you going and not crash like you would by choosing a sugary cereal or donut.

Don’t know what to wear on your day of extreme shopping? Cute-comfort! This is how you should dress that day. If you dress cute and stylish, you will tend to feel more self-confident and actually opt to buy less throughout the day. A professor of marketing research at the Sauder School of Business found that people tend to buy more when they feel insecure.

It has also been found that songs with a fast beat will keep you moving through the stores. Why not download happy, upbeat, holiday music to your playlist and crank up the feel-good tunes all day?

Everyone loves a good sale. So, after you’ve dressed in your adorable outfit, and have finished downloading your playlist, grab a free app for your phone. ScanLife is a barcode scanner you use on your phone to find out which store has the best price. You may also want to check out your favorite retailer’s websites before you leave, to check out any coupons, sales, and announcements.

Another great tip – shop by yourself. When you shop with a pal, you tend to mimic one another through purchases, and this can bring you out of budget . . . fast! If you are afraid you won’t catch all the great deals without having a shopping companion, use the free My Shopping Circle app. This app allows you to share deals with one another at the click of a button.

9:30am – Run by the bank. Leaving your credit cards at home will make you more aware of how much you’re spending. Ask the teller for larger bills like 50s and 100s, as you will be less likely to break them on unnecessary purchases. It has been shown that shopping with cash slashes your total spending by 23%.

Tip: Consider purchasing the less expensive items first. Once you buy something pricey, you loose perspective on what is a good price.

1:00pm – Eat a smart lunch. Choosing a protein-rich salad with chicken will keep you energized. Carbohydrate-laden picks, like pizza and fries, will just make you drowsy!

2:00pm – Need a pick-me-up? At this point, you might be running out of gas, so why not treat yourself to an inexpensive mani or even a free chair massage at Brookstone! Staying in a good mood all day will help you make better buying choices. You will actually take more time to outweigh the pros and cons before shoveling out the cash.

Tip: Skip the long lines. When it’s possible, find a register in a less crowded area of the store, such as the men’s-underwear and home furnishings department. We are all guilty of impulse buys, so waiting in lines less with help prevent those last-minute grabs.

Have a cute salesperson on your hands? This is a cause for budget disaster. Research has shown that we tend to trust salespeople that are physically attractive. So, is it really the sweater you like or the handsome clerk telling you all about it?

6:00pm – Get shopping done at dinner! Meet your friends or spouse at a restaurant that offers gift-card freebies. You can buy your son or friend a $50 gift card and get a $10 credit towards your dinner that evening.

8:00pm – Whew! Back at home. Still have a few people on your list? Search e-tailers like FreeShipping.org, RetailMeNot.com, and CouponCabin.com to find free shipping and other discount available. Other sites such as Piperlime.com, Endless.com, and Zappos.com never charge for shipping.



Now sit back, relax, and worry about wrapping everything tomorrow. 

~Nicole