A sociology graduate student's fall 2008 research project revealed that approximately 1/3 of the women in the United States find it stressful to shop for Christmas presents for friends and family.
Trying to choose the right gift for everyone on their Christmas list was shown to be the greatest source of stress.
Next was the stress of finding the time to shop. Following closely behind was the stress of paying for Christmas gifts and the guilt of overspending.
Are you a stressed our Christmas shopper? If you are, here is how you can make holiday gift shopping much, much easier.
1. First, make a budget you can afford. And, stick to it, no matter how much self-discipline is required.
2. Use the Internet to find the lowest prices on the items you want. Sometimes you can find and buy exactly what you want in minutes, without leaving home. The fewer lines you have to stand in the better, right? Just be sure you investigate and figure in shipping costs as well as the cost of the gifts themselves.
3. If you have significant credit card debt or high interest rate credit cards, pay for everything in cash.
4. If you do use a credit card, choose one that offers you a reward of some kind, like airline miles, gasoline or something else you are likely to use.
5. Consider buying gift cards, especially for your hard-to-buy-for friends and family. A gift card is a truly idiot proof gift.
Christmas shopping and Christmas giving should be fun, or at least not unpleasant. And it will be if you follow the suggestions above. - 15359
Trying to choose the right gift for everyone on their Christmas list was shown to be the greatest source of stress.
Next was the stress of finding the time to shop. Following closely behind was the stress of paying for Christmas gifts and the guilt of overspending.
Are you a stressed our Christmas shopper? If you are, here is how you can make holiday gift shopping much, much easier.
1. First, make a budget you can afford. And, stick to it, no matter how much self-discipline is required.
2. Use the Internet to find the lowest prices on the items you want. Sometimes you can find and buy exactly what you want in minutes, without leaving home. The fewer lines you have to stand in the better, right? Just be sure you investigate and figure in shipping costs as well as the cost of the gifts themselves.
3. If you have significant credit card debt or high interest rate credit cards, pay for everything in cash.
4. If you do use a credit card, choose one that offers you a reward of some kind, like airline miles, gasoline or something else you are likely to use.
5. Consider buying gift cards, especially for your hard-to-buy-for friends and family. A gift card is a truly idiot proof gift.
Christmas shopping and Christmas giving should be fun, or at least not unpleasant. And it will be if you follow the suggestions above. - 15359
About the Author:
Betty Hanson is an editor for The Big Brain, a new internet directory and an article author who writes on online degree programs, distance education, and non-traditional PhD degree programs.
