Newport News & Hampton, Va

Contributed by Diana Fakhouri

There's nothing like finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones at the holidays. The feeling doesn't come cheap, though - shopping can turn stressful for a number of reasons and quickly frost over your cheery holiday demeanor. Take preventative measures with our prescription for effective and fun shopping this season!

1)Start Early. If you haven't yet, that means this weekend - crowds will continue to grow until the night Santa parks on your rooftop, so get moving!

2)Have a Plan, and a List. Know where you're going, what you want, and where you can find it. Of course, unforeseen circumstances will occur - who knew every kid in Hampton Roads also wanted the Wii game on your nephew's list?! - but sticking to your original plan of attack will help you save time

3)Think Twice Before Bringing the Kids. Shell out a few extra dollars for a sitter, or see if the parents of one of your child's pals will trade off with you while you each finish up your shopping.

4)Set Limits. This goes hand in hand with #3, as letting the kids tag long generally translates to a few extra gifts piling up. 2009 has been a rough year for most of us financially, so don't try to find an extravagant, impressive gift; a smaller offering that plays to his or her specific interests will be much more appreciated.

5)Put Your Camera Phone to Use. If you like it, but don't LOVE it, snap a pic, place the item on hold if possible, move on and compare. When it's not love at first sight, it's likely there's a better option at the next store.

6)Indulge with a Coffee Break. It's the holidays and you deserve it, so splurge on an $5 latte and recoup.

7)Nip Personal Impulse Buys in the Bud. Really, just say no. After-Christmas sales will be so much more guilt-free if you weren't picking things up for yourself here and there all season.

8)Go Online! I personally enjoy the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season, but if you know it's not your style the internet offers everything you'd find in stores and more. Just make sure to read the return policy in case it's not what you expected on Christmas morning.

Recap: Map out a store-to-store route, write down what you're getting for who, no kids, remember that not everyone needs a new netbook or HDTV contrary to those relentless Best Buy ads, compare, indulge, promise not to buy anything for yourself, and if all else fails pack up, go home, and sign on-line. Spend responsibly, and have a wonderful holiday season!

To create link towards this article on your website,
copy and paste the text below in your page.

<style type="text/css"><!--.quote {width:350px; padding: 6px; border: solid 1px #456B8F; font: 10px helvetica, verdana, sans-serif; color: #222222; background-color: #ffffff}.quote a {font: 13px arial, serif; color: #003399; text-decoration: underline}.quote a:hover {color: #FF9900; }//--></style><div style="float:left;padding:5px;"><img src="/images/christmas-shopping.jpg" width="120" alt="" /></div><div class="quote"><a href="http://insiderspassport.com/tips-for-shopping-stress-free-this-season" target="_blank">Tips for Shopping Stress-Free This Season</a><div align="right" style="width:350px"><p style="text-align:right;"><a href="http://insiderspassport.com/" target="_blank">Insider's Passport</a></p></div></div>

Preview :

Tips for Shopping Stress-Free This Season

Insider's Passport

Powered by QuoteThis © 2008