BUSINESS TIPS - Business know- how

Get Holiday shopping done in one day
                                                           By Patricia Schaefer

With me today on business circle is Patricia from business know how, and she will be our guest today as she talks about holiday shopping. Let me assure you of great fodder on her side. Enjoy the piece as well as your shopping.

Prepare for the big day Make Your List The first thing you'll need to do is make a list of everyone you need to buy a gift for. Try not to leave anyone out; you don't want to have to make additional shopping trips. Use your address book as a guide, and don't forget to include those people who may not immediately come to mind; i.e., mailman, newspaper delivery person, garbage men, teachers, students, secretary, coworkers, boss, neighbors, hair dresser, manicurist, babysitter, house cleaners, and pets. Include any seasonal charitable donations you may want to make. As an added "insurance policy," plan on purchasing one or two extra generic gifts that can be used for anyone forgotten, or for someone who may drop by with an unexpected gift. For your list, you can create your own template, or if you use Microsoft Word, you can use the templates feature to download a gift list template from Microsoft.com. The list template has spaces to enter your recipients' name, gift idea, color, size, location and even has a box to check off when that person is "done." Print out this list -- it will be your companion as you shop. Don't sweat it if you don't know what to give everyone; part of the fun of holiday shopping is discovering great new gifts.   Budget Wisely Now that you have your list, you might want to decide on the total dollar amount you can spend without "breaking the bank." Then decide how much will be allotted to each person on your list. Make up your mind that you will stick to these amounts; of course, a few dollars' difference here and there is fine. Be Fit to Shop Get a good night's sleep the night before the big day, and plan on eating a healthy breakfast, including some protein for added stamina. For those who plan on doing traditional shopping, set out your most comfortable clothes and walking shoes. If you typically carry a pocketbook, and it weighs more than your first-born child, remove everything in that bag that isn't essential to your goal at hand. Try to avoid wearing very heavy outer garments that will most likely end up being carried in your arms. Try to Go When it's Slow If possible, you'll want to shop on a weekday (Mondays and Tuesdays are typically optimum), as weekends are far more crowded and will only slow you down. Sooner is also better than later for online and catalog shopping; delivery times need to be factored in and may vary between merchants. Safety First Along with crowded stores at holiday time come criminals; car burglars and pickpockets to name a few. Don't let the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping leave you careless and vulnerable to holiday crime. Plan to be alert and careful as you shop. It's Time to Shop Traditional Shopping versus Online and Catalog Shopping Only you can decide which method or methods of shopping is best for you. Online and catalog shopping continue to account for a greater percentage of holiday purchases with each passing year. On the rise as well are retailers that allow customers to buy online and pick up their purchase in the store, and to return to the store items bought online as well. Ads by Google Shopping online from the comfort of your own home can indeed save you money, time, gas and aggravation. You can also find great holiday shipping rate bargains as well. Every year more and more online shopping sites offer free holiday shipping to customers, or free shipping if you purchase more than a set minimum amount; i.e., more than $50, $75. Just be sure to check the last available date for holiday shipping rate discounts. Comparison shopping is also a breeze online. Sites like Yahoo ( http://shopping.yahoo.com/)  and Google (http://www.google.com/prdhp) make it easy to find and compare products and pricing. For the budget-conscious, it makes great sense to search online to get the best price. If you use online or catalog shopping for out-of-state gifts, the merchant can ship it directly to the recipient's address, and you'll save time and bother on wrapping and those long lines at the post office. On the other hand, you can't actually see or inspect an item online or in a catalog, or try it on. Errors in billing are also more common, and returns can be more difficult. And you'll need to be aware of any shipping and handling fees, which can sometimes be exorbitant. For example, it would not make sense to order one low-cost single item where the shipping fees double the original cost. Care must also be taken to protect your identify from online theft.  If you’ve never purchased from a merchant before, check them out first with the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/us/Find-Business-Reviews/).  Also avoid online merchants who do not answer their phone or do not provide telephone or other contact information. Suggestion: Conduct your traditional holiday shopping at the very start of the day when you are most fit and rested. You'll get to fully enjoy -- see, hear, taste, feel and smell -- the full holiday shopping experience. When you've had enough -- or run out of ideas -- go home to the comfort of your own home, make yourself a cup of tea, and finish off those last few "hard-to-get" people while you page through a catalog or view some online shopping and comparison sites. Shop at online sites that offer free shipping to optimize shipping and handling savings. Make the Most of Your Time Don't waste your time or gas money driving here, there and everywhere in search of the perfect gifts. Select one local shopping mall or outlet center, or a small number of stores in a limited geographic area. Once you reach your shopping destination, do not scope out an entire store or mall first to see everything it has to offer. Simply purchase your items the first time around. One of the best ways to optimize your shopping time is to buy a variation of the same item for a number of people. So, if you have five nieces, and you come across a hat, scarf and glove set that you absolutely love -- and the store has it in at least five different colors -- you're all set. Multi-item purchasing is also a great way to save on shipping and handling fees; generally, the more you spend and purchase, the less shipping cost per item. Don't second-guess your gift selections. If you bought "Aunt Madeline" a beautiful warm throw, and then you spot something you think she'll like better, resist the urge. Once you cross someone off your list, consider them "fini." If you don't, you'll simply waste valuable time. The very act of shopping amidst holiday decorations, songs of good cheer, and a cornucopia of eye-catching gift selections cause some individuals to throw caution to the wind, forget about their pre-planned budget limits, and find them adding "just one more gift" again and again to the mix. If you do find yourself swept up in the spirit of the season, stand firm against "buying" more. Instead, think about applying that same holiday spirit to your community; volunteer some of your time to a lonely soul, or give to someone truly in need. What to Do for the "Hard to Buy" People on Your List If you're like most shoppers, every year there is usually one or more people on your list who are exceedingly difficult to buy for. An absolutely terrific way to not only find the perfect gift for these people, but actually enjoy yourself along the way, is to go to shopping sites like surprise.com or findgift.com. You can search by traditional categories like "occasion," and "hobbies & interests," or creative categories like "always cold," "gadgeteer," or "stressed out." A recent search on findgift.com for my impossible-to-get-for Dad in the "Hard to Buy For/Seniors" category had me doing cartwheels when I found an "Apollo Program Pin Set" from the 11 manned Apollo missions. Dad worked as an aeronautics engineer on a number of these missions. Suggestion:  First peruse shopping sites for gift ideas. Pick out your items, and then go to a comparison site like Yahoo Shopping and Google Shopping to get the best price for each particular item. The Lincoln Logs Classic Edition Frontier Cabin was recently priced at $39.99 on a popular shopping site. The identical item on Google Shopping was priced from $29.99 to $49.99, depending on the vendor. Purchase it at the lowest price and you've just saved yourself some money. Follow the game plan outlined above and you can reasonably expect to get your holiday purchases completed in one day, and maybe even enjoy a jubilant shopping journey as well. As with anything else, be realistic. Even if there are a few gifts left to get at the end of the day, your concentrated efforts will most likely have resulted in a greater shopping efficiency than usual. This will go a long way in making your holidays less stressful and considerably more festive. Copyright 2011, Attard Communications, Inc. Patricia Schaefer is a staff writer for Business Know-How. She can be reached by email at pschaefer@businessknowhow.com.