Stress-Free Holiday Shopping

If you're not one of the few to whom just thinking about holiday shopping brings gushes of excitement, enthusiasm and intense desire to rush out to the mall, then this article is for you.

The countdown has begun. The big day will soon be here. We've put together some hints on how to enjoy the holidays without a financial hangover.

• Plan ahead. Try to give yourself plenty of time when you go shopping. Whether you're shopping at the mall, at one of your favorite locally-owned stores, or on the internet, you make better decisions if you don't feel rushed.
• Determine which gifts are more important to you first. Then, you can budget what funds and time you left left on the rest.
• Steer clear of holiday financial traps.
  Never open a store charge account just for a 10% discount. Unless you plan to pay the bill in full within the grace period, you will pay more in interest than you save. Extended warranties are very profitable for the merchant and usually a bad deal for the consumer. Avoid GIFT CARDS. Most have fees or expiration dates. It's less expensive to give cash and people don't forget to use cash. If your credit card company sent you blank checks for the holidays, tear them up and burn them. They aren't checks at all but really applications for high interest loans.
• Don't shop without a list and make sure to compare prices.
• Look for merchants who will ship your gifts. It saves you the headaches of standing in long lines at the post office or UPS. Most of us merchants, who ship regularly, know how to pack for safe shipping and have have accounts set up that allow us to avoid the long lines.
• Save money by establishing holiday traditions. Few of us can afford to buy gifts for everyone we know. For your friends, bake cookies or even buy them ant present on a pretty tray on in a gift tin. Host a holiday tea and ask everyone to bring cookies to share. The most appreciated gifts are usually those on which little money is spent but come from the heart. Give a gift of yourself (a promise to babysit for a young mother or offer transportation for a senior).
  
  A wonderful gift that I received this holiday season was a holiday card from a friend here in Flagstaff. He included the story of a very special hollyhock plant that managed to come up on its own, thrive, grow to over 6 feet and bloom profusely without any of the care that he provided to the flowers he had planted. He included seeds he had saved from this wonder plant. This was a very special gift.
• Above all, spend wisely. A small present that shows attention to the recipient's interests means more than an expensive but impersonal gift.

This article was written by Joyce Reid, owner of Gift Basket Network and Corporate Promotional Gifts.