3 Big Reasons To Avoid Panic Shopping

How many of you feel that panic when it comes to gift giving, and you’re stuck at the very last minute scrambling to find something to gift? It has become such an epidemic that the term “panic shopping” was coined to describe exactly this, where someone goes out a day or even hours before, usually in the last possible timeslot they have available, and picks whatever items might work in a pinch.

The question I might have for you then is, is it worth it? Do gifts that come from panic shopping usually go over well, or do you regularly find that they’re “just okay”? I’d make a bet and say that while some gifts may end up being a hit anyway, many others don’t, and you often feel like you’ve just cobbled it together in the last second to find something that isn’t really all that meaningful.

Here are 3 big reasons why avoiding panic shopping whenever possible is — in my opinion — the only way to go.

1. Waaaaaaay less stress!

I think this one goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning anyway. I cannot tell you how much better I feel when all I have to do is go to my gift stash and pull out a selection of gifts procured months in advance. It’s way more relaxing having to worry about how things are wrapped than it is to worry if my gift is going to be liked by the receiver.

Imagine it’s a week before Christmas, your gifts are wrapped and ready to go, and you’ve realized that you missed a single gift that you have to visit one store for. How much better does that feel to know that everything is done, and you’ve missed only one instead of rushing around for twenty?

2. You get to know your friends and family much better.

When you’re constantly being vigilant about what people like and enjoy, you’ll probably notice that you’re getting along with the people around you easier, and you find out things that you never knew before. Conversations are easier to start when you know what they enjoy, and the more you topics you know will work, the greater the chance that you’ll have heard something offhand that might be useful as a conversation starter.

Eventually, after a while of this, you’ll know so much about your friends and family that it’ll come second nature to you when you happen across something as you’re scrolling through the internet or walking through a store. Something that helps me out is keeping a note on my phone that keeps track of ideas and gifts I have already bought so that I know who is covered and who still needs something. I also sometimes write down their interests as a reference, as even the act of writing something down or saying it aloud is helpful to commit important items to memory.

It gets to a point now where I will be several occasions ahead of the next one, because I will consistently be seeing things that remind me of my friends and family in my daily travels. Sometimes I see things that look nice that aren’t on sale, and giving myself that freedom to wait saves me a lot in many ways. Which brings me to my next point…

3. It’s much easier on your pocketbook.

Sales, sales, sales! They are a godsend when it comes to finding gifts. I shop all year round for people and scoop things up off-season, spending a fraction of the cost compared with hiked holiday prices. Perhaps not as a gift, but an example of something like this is when bathing suits may go on big sales when the weather gets cold, because it’s not on everyone’s mind at that moment and the demand is lower. Or what if your mother has been looking at a set of pots and pans that happen to go on a mega sale on Black Friday, but their birthday is in June? Or perhaps you could do it sooner and give it for Christmas? By shopping the sales and spreading out your spending, the dreaded holiday bill becomes much smaller.

Gift giving is only the start! Procrastination and planning are big pieces in everyday life, and getting into a habit in one way is a great start to including it in the rest of your life as well. Self-improvement always starts somewhere, and you’ll find that it starts to spread naturally through to other tasks you’re doing.

Are you a last-minute shopper, or do you have strategies that work for you? Let us know!