Shopping with purpose, not impulse, this holiday season

I won’t tell you how many weekends are left before you-know-what. 🫣Nope. I won’t do it. That’ll just cause panic without a plan – and none of us need more panic these days. In this post, I’ll share a structure that’s really helped me combat overwhelm around holiday shopping, purchase with purpose and not impulse, and avoid overspending.                                                                                

Plan smarter, gift happier.

First, define who you’re exchanging with, with your budget in mind. Have conversations about this with your partner and friends. Just because you always have doesn’t mean you have to continue. It may be a relief to someone to not exchange if they have budgetary or time constraints. Honest conversations are worth it and contribute to healthy relationships.

Next, think about what has and hasn’t worked well in gifting for this person in the past – both so you make sure not to repeat a gift and so you can generate good/better ideas. I start by looking back at last year’s shopping list and reflect before I buy. What did they love? What flopped?

Then, I generate ideas without judgment. I will write it all down and edit later. What might this person enjoy, based on what I know of them and the season of life they’re in? Were there any unfulfilled wishes from last year? Have I noticed any new needs or interests they’ve expressed over time? If you’re stumped, you can always ask the recipient, other people in their lives who know them well (partner or  friend), or talk to other folks buying for people in similar places in life (your kids’ friends buying for their children, your friends buying for their similar-aged parents, etc.) Heck, even ask the recipients what they need or want.

Next, I finalize the list and move from brainstorm to concrete plan, considering my budget, the right number of gifts (e.g. do I have about the same number and value of gifts for each of my kids to open or do I need to add another item?), and what feels meaningful to the giver and the recipient (e.g. I don’t want them to just get socks from me, even though they need them. Maybe that can be from Great Aunt Gertrude instead and I can give them the more fun item). If an item doesn’t make the cut this year, write it down as an idea for next year - or if Great Aunt Gertrude asks for ideas, you know what to tell her (wink).

Ready to sleigh your shopping list?

I hope this helped you take a breath and organize your thoughts. And now it’s time to put everything down to paper (or in a digital document. I created a free editable template to guide you. Download the Holiday Gift Giving Template here! It’ll have room for you to reflect, brainstorm, and plan ahead. It also has a completed sample row so you can see how I use it.

If you need to simplify your season, let’s connect.

But maybe you want more guidance - or even to offload this task completely. From developing a gifting plan to planning a vacation, a girls’ weekend, a party – or something else, I’d love to be your Life Wife. Email me at connect@laurakassner.com or book a free 15 minute call so we can get acquainted and cross a stressor off your list.