Whether you have a couple of employees that you plan to buy Christmas gifts for, or you have a two page list of intended gift recipients, it is never too early to begin shopping for employee Christmas gifts- trust me, I should know. Last year, like many years before, I had the best intentions when it came to completing my Christmas shopping. My list was made out and ready months in advance, I had a good idea about where I planned to shop for gifts, and I even purchased plenty of wrapping supplies well ahead of schedule so that I could ensure that I was fully prepared for my adventure. As the weather turned nicer, however, I found myself tending to my overgrown garden and abundance of colorful flowers every time I got the chance, and before I knew it- poof! The Christmas rush was well underway.
This year, I have promised myself that I will not let Christmas creep up on me like that. If you are ready to join me in my early Christmas shopping adventure, by all means kick off your flip-flops, grab an ice cold glass of lemonade, and check out these time saving, money saving, sanity preserving tips for shopping for employee Christmas gifts in advance.
Early Bird Tips for Shopping for Employee Christmas Gifts
- Buy a Small Notebook: Investing in a small notebook can not only help you keep your ideas in order, but it can help to ensure that nobody is accidentally excluded from your list of recipients as well. I found a great notebook that is small enough to fit in my purse so I can carry it with me everywhere I go. In it, I have reserved a page for each of my intended recipients and I include information like their age, sex, birthday if I know it, and unique personality traits, hobbies and interests. Whenever I get an idea for a great gift, I jot it down along with the price- an excellent tool for comparison shopping!
Set a Budget: Evaluate your financial situation and try to come up with an accurate plan for what you can afford to spend on each employee. Each time you purchase a gift, be sure to subtract the amount you have spent from your intended budget.- Purchase a few “Generic” Gifts for Back Up: You know as well as I do that no matter how well you plan, there will always be unexpected events that come along and mess things up. While we can’t always be prepared for every snowball life throws at us, we can definitely have a few snowballs in place just in case. I like to keep a few “go to” gifts in stock for those unexpected precious moments. Some of my favorites include things like the Himalayan Salt Lamps, unique photo frames, and those adorable GIANTmicrobes plushies.
- Don’t be Too Specific: Keep in mind that life events happen and employees sometimes move on. Try not to purchase gifts too far in advance that are specifically created for your recipients, because many times they cannot be returned.
Set a Budget: Evaluate your financial situation and try to come up with an accurate plan for what you can afford to spend on each employee. Each time you purchase a gift, be sure to subtract the amount you have spent from your intended budget.Do you have any helpful tips for shopping for employee Christmas gifts in advance? Let us know! We are always interested in new ideas.
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