It’s no secret that holiday shopping can turn disastrous for those that are unprepared. With the sheer number of products and varying prices for consumer goods, it can be incredibly overwhelming to dive into holiday shopping. Here are some great tips and tricks to make your holiday shopping a success.

Start With A List

A great way to begin your seasonal shopping is by creating a list for yourself, and sticking to it! Grab your favorite notebook or notepad and begin brainstorming all the people you would like to give gifts to this year. It is extremely helpful to do this early on in the season to give yourself time to find gift inspiration for all those people on your list. If you are not sure about everything, start with the people you are sure of, and go from there.

Budget Yourself

It can be difficult to stick to a budget during the holidays, but it’s also a very important aspect. Gift giving is meant to show appreciation, not break the bank. Come up with a reasonable budget for this season that works best for you. Making a list can also help save money during the season. Instead of just going to a store and picking out whatever you can find, you can plan ahead and find the best deals for each item you need through some online research.

Don’t Shop For Yourself – Yet

It is so incredibly tempting to shop for yourself during the holidays, especially when the shoes you have been eyeing are now at a discounted price. Instead of grabbing things for yourself throughout the month, focus on your gift giving needs, and save your shopping for all the post-holiday sales. Anything you’re looking for will likely be more heavily discounted once the season is over. Have patience in December, and treat yourself in January.

Starting with these small shopping tips will help ease the stress of holiday shopping, and leave you feeling prepared and excited. The best thing you can do is start early! Spreading your planning and shopping out will ultimately make it easier on your budget, and allow for a stress-free holiday.