The Christmas Shopping Plan That Saved Christmas

Normally, I don’t even think about Christmas shopping until I’ve eaten that Thanksgiving turkey. I like to leave each holiday in its’ own month, thank you very much. 

Then I got SUPER sick last December. And we adopted a puppy. Result? My Christmas present shopping was pretty disorganized. The stocking stuffers were definitely underwhelming and some of my extended family didn’t get their presents until like February.

I know I could cut myself some slack here but I also have always loved this time of year. When I was a kid, my parents did such a great job making the holidays magical in every way and I want to be able to do that for my kids. 

We’re all super busy with life, and it’s difficult to fit all of the holiday shopping into December. That’s why it’s important to have a Christmas shopping plan. If you start getting organized now, you’ll feel so much less stressed during the holiday season! How would it feel to make cookies with your kids in December instead of frantically going through your Christmas gift list? 

With a Christmas shopping planner, you can make Christmas shopping easier and more festive! 

Make a Christmas Shopping List

OK, it’s time to get down to business. Start out by making a list of people you want to give a gift to. Keep it simple at this point. I like to break it down into a few different categories, like:

• Kids
• Spouse
• Extended Family
• Friends
• Professional Colleagues

Each gift-giving group might look pretty different, which is why I like to break them down by category. For example, you might be buying Santa gifts, stocking stuffers and parent gifts for your kids. On the other hand, professional colleagues might get something simple like a Starbucks gift card.

When you make your list, it’s a great opportunity to talk with family members about how you want to exchange gifts. For example, my sister and I usually exchange a family experience gift, like a zoo or museum membership. On my husband’s side, we buy gifts for the kids but not for my brother-in-law or sister-in-law. 

Decide what works for you and get creative with this! The goal is to share the joy of the season and sometimes everyone is glad to change around the gift expectations. 

How to Keep track of gift ideas

Once you have your list, start collecting gift ideas for each person on your list. You may need to ask the person for a list or for ideas. I definitely suggest starting this process early. Some adults have to think hard about their wish list! 

Write down each person’s wish list under their name, including items from their own wish list and any ideas of your own. Don’t forget to note the store and size (if applicable). Write down the website link if you have it. This will make the shopping process easier later!

You can use a simple Christmas shopping list template to track your gift list. Download the Parent Lightly holiday organizer and print out one of the Christmas shopping list template. You can use these to stay organized during your holiday shopping!

Apps to Keep track of Gift Ideas

You can use many different apps for keeping track of Christmas gifts. I like to use Trello because it’s flexible. I actually keep a running list of gift ideas for my family in Trello, which is really helpful to have.

To keep your list in Trello, create a Gift List board. Then add a column for each person. Finally, under each person, add a card for each gift idea. You can also include sizing, color, link, and any other important information.

Other apps, like Giftster, are specifically meant for making wish lists. On Giftster, you can create a wish list and share with friends and family. You could also create wish lists on Amazon or keep it simple and make your list in a Google doc or Word doc. 

How much should I budget for Christmas gifts?

Next, it’s time to set your budget. In 2018, consumers planned to spend an average of about $1,000 on Christmas gifts, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey.

Set your personal budget based on your own income and other expenses. Ideally, you started setting aside a little money each month for your Christmas fund, and now you know exactly how much to spend.

If that’s the case, start deciding about how much you’d like to spend for each person on your list. If the total is less than your Christmas fund, you’re all set! On the other hand, if the total is higher than your Christmas budget, you need to make some changes.

You could buy less expensive items for some people, give homemade gifts, or take some people off of your list. The choice is yours!

If you don’t already have a fixed Christmas budget, it’s time to create one! Do you have some savings that you can safely tap into for Christmas presents?

To find your starting point, I suggest estimating about how much you would spend on each person from your list. For example, you might spend $20 on a work colleague and $100 on your mom. 

Once you have made those estimates, tally them up. Is that number too high? Too low? Make some adjustments until you’re comfortable with the total Christmas budget. You should not go into debt to buy Christmas gifts. It’s also important not to put your emergency fund or retirement savings at risk. 

How much do you spend on your child for Christmas?

The average US shopper expects to spend $422 per child on holiday gifts, according to a 2016 survey by the American Research Group. Thirty-four percent of parents plan to spend $500 or more per child! 

What’s reasonable to spend on your kids for holiday gifts? You want the Christmas holiday to be memorable for your kids. At the same time, you don’t want your budget – or your playroom – to suffer! 

Some parents use the four-gift method to keep Christmas spending under control. Kids get something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. (Doesn’t hurt that this little rule rhymes!)

You can also consider giving experience gifts that you know your child will use throughout the year. This might save you money down the road! For example, you could give your child lessons, sports equipment, art supplies, or museum memberships. 

When should you go Christmas shopping?

Thirty-nine percent of US consumers will start their holiday shopping in October – and I think they’re on to something! Sixty percent of shoppers have started Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. 

 If we’re being honest, I usually start after Thanksgiving. That means I’m always rushing around to buy, wrap and mail gifts while also trying to enjoy all of the holiday events and activities.

This year, it’s going to be different. It sounds so much nicer to start shopping in October. If you start early, you can stick to your Christmas shopping plan. You’ll be less stressed and have more time to find, wrap and mail your presents. A longer timeline definitely means and easier and more relaxing holiday season! 

The benefits of shopping for Christmas early

There are many benefits to starting your Christmas shopping early! 

You’ll be more relaxed during the holiday season.

You can spend time looking for the right gift at the right price.

You will have more time to wrap and mail gifts to make sure they arrive by Christmas.

You’ll have a clear list of items to shop for on Black Friday.

No last-minute scrambling.

Enjoy Christmas events and activities instead of shopping. 

Get Organized with a Christmas shopping planner

Now that you’ve made your list and budget, it’s time to start your Christmas shopping plan! A Christmas shopping planner will help you stay on track. I recommend four components to your Christmas shopping tracker:

• A comprehensive wish list: Keep all of the gift ideas in one place so they’re easily accessible when you need them. Nothing is worse than sitting down at your computer on Cyber Monday only to realize that the gift ideas are at home!
• A list of purchased items: Keep track of the items you purchased. If you’re buying a lot of gifts online, it can be easy to lose track of what you have bought. Keep a list so you don’t accidentally order duplicates. This also helps for returns. 
• A checklist: A checklist will help you keep track of the people you still need to buy for. Kids might be a little more complicated, but you could easily list different categories for kids, like Kid Santa, Kid Parents, Kid Stocking Stuffers. 
• A calendar: Plan out your holiday shopping so you aren’t stressed. Create reminders for yourself on certain dates. For example, you might create a reminder on Oct 1 to ask your friends and family for their wish lists. 

If you have these components in your holiday shopping plan, you’ll feel calm and organized about Christmas gift shopping! 

Making your Christmas shopping planner 

To make your holiday shopping planner, you have a few different options:

Option 1: Make a paper planner using my downloadable holiday organizer templates! 

PRO: Writing things down helps. You can make notes and easily mark items complete. Everything is in one place. 

CON: You have to remember to take it with you or take photos frequently. Harder to link to items.

Option 2: Create your plans online using Trello and Google Calendar. (Check out this Trello tutorial and Google Calendar Tutorial for more info!)

PRO: You can take it with you anywhere. Easy to include links. Can edit on the fly. 

CON: You have to learn two platforms if you don’t already know them. Information is in different places. Sometimes harder to absorb information if not written down. 

Christmas shopping online

You can do the bulk of your Christmas shopping online. When you buy a gift online, make sure to add it to your list of purchased gifts. Note the date purchased, site you bought from and expected arrival date. That way you’ll be able to keep an eye out for the package. 

I’ve had packages get lost and incorrect orders happen almost every Christmas, so it pays to keep a list of what you ordered! You’ll also avoid accidental duplicate purchases this way. 

Christmas shopping in stores

Some Christmas gifts will have to be purchased at a store! (I know, avoid at all costs!) These are the gifts I would definitely recommend buying early, before the Christmas shopping crowds start arriving. 

First, I suggest reviewing your Christmas shopping list for the items you really need to buy at the store. Then figure out if you can consolidate your list of stores. Is it possible to go to the local mall and knock the whole in-store holiday gift list out? Can you buy the majority of the gifts at Target? Try to be strategic with your in-store shopping.

Don’t forget to bring your list! If you opted for a Christmas shopping list app, you’re all ready to go. For those of you who went with the printed list, take a picture of the Christmas shopping planner pages before you to go the store so you can reference the latest list.

Make Christmas easier by planning your Christmas shopping

No one wants to be stressed out and frazzled in December. It’s a time to enjoy holiday traditions with your family. You can shop any time, but you can only look at Christmas lights, go to the Nutcracker, and see Santa during the holiday season. So get your Christmas shopping done early this year so you can relax and connect with your family this holiday season!