Don’t let the shopping get you down. Even if you have a lot of shopping to do and haven’t started it, make sure you take time out for yourself and relax. If you get into this habit of taking time to relax and not get stressed out about holiday shopping then you will enjoy the holidays more.You may not have time to do everything in your non-working hours so take a day off to do some shopping or baking, if you can. You would be surprised how much you can get done with a couple of uninterrupted extra hours.

If you are making something for someone, don’t wait until the last minute. I have done this way too many times and I get things done but then it is stressful. Avoid the stress start early.

A stressless gift to send is a magazine subscription. Recently I received a couple of envelopes indicating that I could send a gift subscription to anyone for a reduced price. Some of the deals are really great but make sure that you read the fine print and send a check instead of using a credit card because then you may automatically be charged for the same subscription next year.

The holidays can be stressful for all the wrong reasons. Don’t stress out about finding a gift that is way below budget. If you are a good shopper some things will be below and some may be right on target. Just don’t let spending get too out of hand and spend more because then you will really be down because you spent more than you planned.

Also, don’t forget to check your receipts when you are making purchases so you won’t have to go back to have a price adjustment for an item that should have been on sale. This would also be an additional way to add stress.

Not all online retailers are the same. Yes you may be able to get a great deal on an item, but if it never ships then it’s not a great deal.

I am the queen of shopping around to get the best deal and figuring out if the total price including shipping is less than a place that offers free shipping. I ordered a memory chip for my camera a few months ago at a great price but no where on the site did it say that the company only accepted COD from non businesses. The site seemed to have a meltdown when you tried to enter a CC#. The customer service was no help. While it was a pain to get a money order the price was definitely worth it and I did let the company know that they should let people know beforehand that consumers could only pay by COD, no credit cards at all. The price was worth it because it was about half the price I could get the item anywhere else.

Then there are so-called electronics stores online that try to give you the bait and switch and tell you that the item you ordered was really a used or refurbished item for the price you wanted. Or you will have to order extra accessories. I ordered a camera for a gift and the salesperson called and said that I needed to get extra things that didn’t come with it. I had printed out the page that said the camera was new and what the price was. When I told him that I wanted the camera at the price I had paid online and that I would call the credit card company he changed his tune.

If I had done a little more digging I could have saved myself some of the hassles. In both cases things worked out. In the latter it was because I was informed and would not let the salesman pressure me into ordering accessories that I didn’t need. He was trying to “upsell” additional items that already came with the camera.

Not all online retailers are ethical. Unfortunately during the holiday season when people are trying to buy gifts for their loved ones they can get taken advantage of. If you only deal with retailers who have a good reputation (even the big companies make mistakes) and will work to satisfy reasonable demands. Before you make a purchase search for reviews of the company on the internet.

If you find that there are too many bad reviews that do not have to do with the speed of shipping but deal with the merchandise quality itself or price gouging then pay a little extra and go with another company. Even some of the larger merchants have people who dislike them. I have used all three of the major booksellers and have not had a problem with them. I have had items monogrammed incorrectly and returned them so when I say reasonable demands I know that I am talking about.

Read the fine print before you check out, as much as you can. Some unscrupulous companies will not list all of their terms where you can find them easily.

Don’t push your luck when shopping and saving this season; a few strokes on the keyboard can save you headaches.

Last night I was watching a special feature on the news and it seems as though when the mainstream media finally picks up on a trend it is too late. The subject was how to find Christmas/holiday gifts for $25 or less.

One portion of the story was really interesting… buy an empty container and fill it with items that the recipient would use. Give a coffee drinker a mug and a gift card, or give a traveler travel sized items in a container. Though these sounded like good ideas some of the items were overpriced. The container that was purchased at a dollar store was listed as $2.50. That was more like a dollar plus store. Then some of the items were typical dollar store items.

Remember: The object of being frugal is not to look cheap as much as it is to pay less for quality. There are good brands at dollar and discount stores but you must hunt around. Now is the time to hunt.

Thinking about creating a basket or container with a theme for a recipient was interesting

Find a cute or interesting mug and buy a variety of teas or hot chocolates. Find a tea box and give the person a couple of types of tea to put in the box.

You know when there are features on the news about how to save money that we are in trouble. For those who live a frugal lifestyle buying gifts is just another challenge. Be prepared before you go shopping – arm yourself with knowledge and you’ll be fine.

If a basket is too traditional, use any kind of container or container that the recipient would use is a definite bonus. There are other containers that you could fill with goodies for someone on your list:

• a toolbox
• a totebag that you can decorate for the recipient
• a pail
• a clean empty paint can

Basically, anything that can hold something could help you make a great an interesting inexpensive gift. The receptacle could be something that you find at a thrift store or that is from another season and refurbished. An old Easter basket could be painted with a little spray paint. There are many possibilities.

If you are creating a “basket” for a person don’t go overboard in the amount you spend on the container. Look at how some of the professional baskets are assembled then let your creative juices flow. For $25 you can create a great looking gift that will be useful too.

I saw an article this morning called worth it gifts and included in the list of “worth it” gifts was a complete boxed set of Harry Potter books, a Coach tote and a HDTV. The additional clincher to make you think this was worth buying… Go ahead and splurge.

If you splurge on too many people on your Christmas shopping list you will be way over budget. Let’s say you have 10 people to shop for and you decide to splurge and the splurge equates to an additional 10 dollars per person. That’s one hundred dollars more that you have spent.

It is possible to shop around and make it seem like you splurged on someone and you spend $10 less than you planned to. Yet, this was merely a list of items that showed more expensive items. What about buying a good quality leather bag for less than a non leather designer bag? There is always someone with a book or DVD lover on their list. You can always save money on the majority of titles by shopping online.

Again I say look at your list, do not let the retailers tell you what the perfect item is for your recipients. Let’s say because of the list, people decide that they want to get this particular bag because it was mentioned. The brand doesn’t always equal quality.

What about some gifts that are really worth it? For the price of a lower end designer bag you could make a donation to a cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s organization.

If you are feeling really generous buy an ark or a water buffalo or a knitting basket. If you think you don’t have a need for any of these items maybe you could use a rabbit, or a tree.

What about a malaria net instead?

If you give someone a malaria net who was looking for a cool electronic gadget, you may not get the thanks you deserve. Making a donation to an organization or a cause is a tricky situation. You can’t just decide that you are going to give someone what you want them to have because you like it. And as simple as it would be to donate to a charity, even your local food pantry would do, you need to make sure that your recipients would like to know that you donate to an organization for in their name.

I already have a flock of ducks.

Don’t worry about what the hottest gift is. The people on your Christmas shopping list may not care what the hottest gift is. If you look around do you own any of the hottest items? Would you want to own many of the so called hottest gifts?

A quick search for “hottest gifts” yielded a random smattering of articles. Most of the articles were press releases geared toward those indecisive shoppers who need help selecting a gift for a recipient. This search taught me that sewing and needlecrafts are the hottest hobbies around. That is according to one press release sponsored by a sewing machine manufacturer. I am not really sure that people who participate in either of theses crafts would really care if they were participating in a “hot” hobby or not. They do it because they like it.

For holiday shoppers who are trying to stay within a budget buying the most popular items are not necessarily the way to go because the recipient may not necessarily buy into the hype, your wallet may not like the price or you may find it difficult to locate the item.

If you have made your holiday spending plan already, think seriously about your gift recipients before being swayed by flashy sites or advertisements.

Does your cousin have a hobby but you aren’t really sure what to buy? Ask him what stores he likes to go to or ask what supplies he might need for his hobby. Asking for a short list of up to three items in a certain price range also helps too. If you have ever participated in a gift exchange at work and you had to list three things in a certain price range it’s the same idea. That way someone who really didn’t know you would get you something that you would like.

Also, your idea of the hottest gift may not resonate as being that popular with a person of a different generation. A younger relative might not like your taste in clothing or accessories and an older relative may not want another item to take up space in their home.

For those relatives and friends I am unsure of what they would like, I am going to ask them for a list of 3-5 things that they might like. This way my job is easier and my gift would be used. If they really is a problem, hang on to those receipts in case you need to exchange something. But the truly savvy shopper knows that there is always a gift receipt.

It may seem crass to ask, but if someone asked you what you wanted you’d tell them right? Wouldn’t you be happy that they took the time to ask instead of going blindly to the store to get you what they think you might like?