Stay Christmas Shopping Savvy

The holiday rush is upon us—this is the Philippines after all, home of the world’s longest Christmas season. If Filipinos had their way, we’d be celebrating the holidays not just from September to January, but all the way through the rest of the year. That said, an extended Yuletide season also means a prolonged high-stress shopping situation. Finding the last stock of Furbies in a toy store can mean going into a virtual battle zone, and making sure your ensaymada orders get in before your favorite home baker runs out of ingredients can present migraine-inducing troubles too.

It is key to approach the season with the grace of a seasoned shopper, the calm of someone who knows exactly what she’s doing, and the lightheartedness of Santa Claus. Retract those claws, and transform yourself into a savvy seasonal shopper with these tips.

Make that list and check it a dozen times. Preparation is the only way to beat this highly stressful season. Bank on your Excel prowess, pull up your best pocket-sized notebook and categorize, prioritize, and most importantly, write everything down. If you don’t write down your initial gift ideas, the names of almost-forgotten godchildren, you will almost certainly miss out on them. Get on it.

Carve out a budget. Figure out which column in your spreadsheet you’re willing to shell out a few extra bucks for, and which giveaways will have to be relegated to the 100-peso mark. The season of giving isn’t about monetary value, but as a giver, you have to stay on top of fund allocation.

Put a personal touch. Everyone will be hitting the bazaars this month and next. Do you really want to give the same shoe bag / bag organizer / rubber stamp set that everyone else will be gifting? If you must give in to your bazaar buys, then put a spin on your purchases to make them stand out. Be unique.

Regulate your payments. Allocate spending to cash, credit card, and even gift certificate purposes. Big ticket items that you can avail on installment at 0% can be relegated to plastic. The token classroom gifts your kid needs to tote to her class Christmas party can be sorted out with whatever cash you’ve got on hand. Groupon deals that you’re giving away can be purely on your PayPal account. Strategize your spending so you don’t end up with bill shock and unrealistic deadlines.

Schedule shopping hours. Go to Divisoria on a weekday morning to keep your sanity intact. Do your online shopping on a Sunday, when the malls are too busy to even deal with. Run through the malls during off hours to avoid the weekend rush.

Take a breather. Give yourself a break in the midst of attacking your shopping list and your errands. The last thing you need is seasonal burnout, when aside from all the buying and giving, you’ve also got weeks upon weeks of parties to attend. Watch a movie in between shopping and take a quick salon break to refresh and re-energize!

The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit mckinley.theblueleaf.com.ph for more information