How to Holiday shop without going insane...

So you're out finishing up (or starting) you holiday shopping, and you want to make it as pleasant an experience as possible...  No, it's not highly likely that the day will go down in the books as one of the best ever, but you can at least take a few steps to make sure it doesn't become one of the worst ever.

1.  Make a list and check it at least twice.  Don't go out and wander around aimlessly and expect to have a productive shopping trip.  Know what you want to get for who, and from which stores.  

2.  Start with a full belly.  "Hangry" is the state in which you're so hungry that you lose the ability to make calm, rational decisions, and often end up being an unreasonably heinous bitch.  Yes the little old lady may have been sloth-like in getting her items through the checkout line, but was it really necessary to smash your cart into her ortho-ankle booties?  This is also the state in which you're more likely to make dumb purchases.

3.  In relation to #2, bring snacks.  Throw an apple and a granola bar in your purse so that you can stay fueled up without being tempted to chow down on 3 days worth of calories at the drive-through.

4.  Bring cash.  Set a spending limit, politely ask the ATM for that amount of money, and stop when it's gone.  The credit card companies LOVE this time of year, because people are just swiping the hell out of their plastic.  But you're not going to love it when you're still paying off Christmas in June.  And your family and friends know how much you can afford.  They're going to know (and feel kind of awful) if you go overboard on them.

5.  Wear the new boots you want to break in.  When your feet start to hurt, it's time to go home.  You'll look great, and force yourself to quit at a reasonable hour.  Yes, really.  Can you tell I'm not a fan of those marathon, all-day shopping trips?

Best of luck to you!


Thanks for stopping by,
-Lindsey