During the month of December stores and malls are all filled with people trying to do their Christmas shopping. The closer Christmas gets the busier the stores get. They even stay open longer so that people can get their shopping done. Long lines at the registers and hardly being able to move because stores are so crowded can often lead to frustration and stress. Unless you enjoy the Christmas crowds, last minute shopping can really give you sleepless nights and many more worry lines overall.
In general, people are always aware that the Christmas rush is coming. Christmas is every year at the same time. Even early in the year, people know that it's coming. There are several steps you can take to beat the Christmas rush. If you prepare well enough, you can prevent the frustration. The following steps are sure to help you with this.
Step 1: Do Your Shopping Early
A sure way to beat the Christmas rush is to do your shopping early in the year. Consider doing your shopping between Father's day and Thanksgiving. During this period from June to November it's usually not crowded in malls and stores. This is because there are major holidays people have to shop for. On top of this, many stores often have sales going on to attract customers.
If you somehow didn't get to do your Christmas shopping early and have to shop in the December month, aim for the hours between 6 pm and 8 pm because this is when stores are the quietest. People are either going home from work or are having dinner with the family. Try to avoid doing any shopping on Saturdays because Saturdays are always busy shopping days.
Step 2: Do Your Shopping Online
A sure way to beat and avoid the Christmas rush is to do all your shopping online. There are no long lines and no people pushing each other around in the stores. You can shop with just a click of a button. If you decide to shop online it's a good idea to do it early. If you wait too long the items might be out of stock or sold out. Sometimes you can even find deals online that are not given in the stores. Another thing is that you don't have to carry around bags of merchandise because the items will just be delivered to your house.
If you do decide to go out to shop, try to go to the less familiar stores. Brand name stores in malls are usually crowded during the holiday season. Because of this, the many items on sale might be sold out.
Step 3: Sending Christmas Cards
Everyone likes receiving Christmas Cards. However, buying Christmas cards can be a hassle if you don't do it early. Months before the Christmas holiday you already know who you will be sending cards to. Why not purchase your cards at that time instead? You can even go online, buy them and have them delivered to you. Another way to avoid the Christmas rush is to just send electronic Christmas cards. These are instantly delivered so you don't have to stress about sending them early to make sure they arrive in time and you don't have to stand in line at the post office.
Many people consider Black Friday (the Friday after Thanksgiving) to be the ideal shopping day because items are marked down substantially. Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. People stand in line hours before the stores open and at around 4 AM they all try to get the same items that are on sale. Of course, with the low prices it has its benefits, but you will be dealing with overcrowded stores and people pushing each other to get to the best deals.
