7 Ways to Make Holiday Gift Shopping Less Stressful

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Happy Cards®.

Holiday gift shopping can be stressful for many at times, but one thing I’ve learned over the years is that if you have a solid game plan before you start, it’s not so bad! I’m actually one of those people who loves to shop for holiday gifts! I have fun creating my shopping list and planning out what I’m going to buy to surprise each person on my list.

I’ve definitely had my fair share of being stuck on what to get whom way too many times, and to me that unnecessary stress just takes the joy out of the season, so now I try not to let that happen.Planning ahead is key to making holiday gift shopping less stressful! 

I’ve rounded up some tried and true ways to make holiday gift shopping less stressful for those of you that may often find yourselves stuck or overwhelmed in the thick of it all.

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been there before and it’s a completely normal feeling that comes with the territory. Thankfully, these tips can make the process go a bit more smoothly!

7 Ways to Make Holiday Gift Shopping Less Stressful

Shop Early

One way to make holiday shopping less stressful is to start early! You’ll beat the crazy crowds and have first pick at everything in stock in the stores! Shopping early also lets you have one less thing on your to-do list so you can focus on other important things during the holidays. I know that shopping last minute makes me feel stressed, so I always make it a priority to start early.

Set a Budget

Setting a budget is so important for both your sanity and bank account! Rather than focusing on how much to spend on each person on your list, I prefer to set an overall budget for all gifts. Once I have an overall budget set, then I divvy out the budget and try to plan gifts for each person as fairly as possible. Doing this helps to ensure there are no overwhelming surprises once the shopping is all said and done. 

Buy Versatile Gifts Everyone Loves

I personally love giving gift cards. You can’t go wrong since a gift card is something literally everyone can use in a variety of places they enjoy. Most importantly, giving gift cards can relieve the pressure of finding the perfect gift!

Happy Cards® are a great option, as they feature restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues from the top gifting categories all on one type of gift card. Each gift card offers the freedom to eat, shop and play at any of the retailers featured on a single card. Exclusive for the holiday season, the Happy Holidays Happy Card is a great option that can be used at popular retailers and restaurants such as Macy’s, Ulta, GameStop, Lowe’s, Chili’s, Red Lobster, and P.F. Chang’s! Unlike other cards, there are no activation fees to purchase or use Happy Cards®, which is why these are my favorite. You can easily find them at Gift Card Mall displays at retailers nationwide, and online at GiftCards.com/Happy. This is the go-to way to make it easy on yourself and give the “gift of choice!”

**GIVEAWAY!!** Click here or head to the bottom of this post for a chance to win a Happy Cards gift card for yourself! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below! 

Create a List and Stick to It

I treat holiday gift shopping the same way as grocery shopping – only buy what’s on the list! Creating a list ahead of time helps you have a solid plan of action and also helps you stick to your budget.

Keep Extra Gifts on Hand for Unexpected Guests

While it helps to create a list and stick to it, there is one exception! It’s always a good idea to keep a few extra gifts on hand in the event you have an extra guest or accidentally forget someone! This is another great example of when gift cards are the perfect fit! I like to keep an extra Happy Cards® gift card on hand just incase, since they’re a great fit for everyone, from friends and family or a coworker! 

Shop for Those Closest to You First

It’s so easy to get carried away and feel like you have to buy something for everyone you know, but that’s not really the case! My favorite rule of thumb is to make your list, starting with the people that are the closest to you first (kids, parents, siblings), then expand from there. Everyone has to draw the line somewhere and that should be expected! Don’t feel guilty if you can’t include everyone – I’m sure they’ll understand! 

Assign Gifting Partners

If you have a large family like I do, then it may be best to just go ahead and assign everyone a gifting partner, that way nobody feels pressured to have to buy everyone a gift. My family has always kept this process simple. Pull a random name from a hat and that’s who you get a gift for that year!
Are you ready for holiday shopping this year?

Share how you prepare and make gift shopping less stressful in the comments below! 

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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Happy Cards®.