Are you a last minute Larry, or do you have everything wrapped up and ready to put under your tree before the summer is even out? Christmas shopping is one of those activities that will always spark a debate, and good intentions are often thrown away with the discarded wrapping paper.
The pros and cons of being organized with early shopping
Early Christmas Shopping does not necessarily mean that you are going out with the express intention of buying for the festive period. It might simply mean that you spot a suitable gift when you are out and about. Maybe you’re on holiday, or having a shopping day out with your friends, and you fall upon the perfect gift for your partner. What is stopping you buying it straight away and tucking away until later.
This takes off a high amount of stress and pressure as the festive season approaches – particularly financially. If your family and loved ones enjoy luxury items such as men’s jewellery, or designer handbags, early purchases enable you to spread the burden of the cost over a longer period of time, or take advantage of discounts and special offers without being restricted to specific times.
Panic shopping can be expensive. If you have left everything to the last minute, chances are there will be no discounts or sale items, and you end up panic buying items simply because you don’t think you have the time to find anything else more suitable. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having someone you love open a present that they really don’t want, and that you only bought because you ran out of time.
Less stress leads to better decision making
A more stress free approach to buying presents will lead to better decision making. Gone is the panic, to be replaced with the pure pleasure of buying someone you love a present, and nurturing that surprise for weeks or months.
On the flip side though, does early shopping actually take away the magic of Christmas shopping? Although so much can be done online now, it is still a pleasure to hit the shops in the build up to Christmas. Many town centres will have switched on their Christmas lights, hosted markets, housed Santa’s grottos and welcomed his reindeer. There is something magical about the collective preparation for the big day that appeals to the inner child.
The thing is, you can still enjoy all that – and enjoy it even more in the knowledge that the bulk of your present buying is done and dusted.
Instead your focus can be on giving your family the attention they need instead of stressing about everything else. You can immerse yourself into the Christmas markets, indulge in the delicious foods on offer, spend precious time with growing children, wallow in that Christmas nostalgia without any energy sucking panic.
For some, last minute is when the magic happens
For many people they are at their most creative and productive when they do things at the last minute. They thrive on eustress, the cortisol induced energy which gets people out and striving to achieve what they cannot achieve when they are relaxed. Often this good stress reaction helps to focus the mind so that they zone in on exactly they know someone will like to receive.
Ultimately, this approach may not suit everybody. Every individual has their own reaction to a stress response, and what might work for one individual, could send another into an absolute blind panic. The truth is, it is never to early to start your Christmas shopping, neither is it ever too late.
