Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
Speaker 1: tip is that if you see a great gift for
Speaker 1: a friend or relative, get it, even if the only
Speaker 1: gift giving occasions are months away. Santa's Workshop runs all
Speaker 1: year long, and the rest of us are wise to
Speaker 1: shop at times beyond December two, so you may finally
Speaker 1: be exhaling after the holiday sprint and feeling relieved that
Speaker 1: the gift shopping season is behind you at least until
Speaker 1: next December. I am right there with you, so take
Speaker 1: a little break to recuperate, but after that, keep your
Speaker 1: eyes open for great gifts for celebrations yet to come.
Speaker 1: There's no reason to only shop in December or in
Speaker 1: a mad dash right before someone's birthday. Stretching things out
Speaker 1: a little can make everything more thoughtful. So if you
Speaker 1: have a niece who loves unicorns and you see a
Speaker 1: cute unicorn pencil pouch, get it, even if her birthday
Speaker 1: isn't for months. Do the same. If you see an
Speaker 1: electric guitar shaped cookie cutter for her brother who plays
Speaker 1: the electric guitar and loves to bake, have a central
Speaker 1: place where you store all the gifts you buy ahead
Speaker 1: and label each gift a sticky note will do with
Speaker 1: the intended recipient. It can also be helpful to record
Speaker 1: the gifts you've bought in the intended recipient supwere ideally
Speaker 1: in a place you'll look before whatever occasion you'll be
Speaker 1: giving these gifts. If it's Christmas, you can make a
Speaker 1: big master spreadsheet or list somewhere, But if it's for
Speaker 1: a birthday, maybe put a note a week or two
Speaker 1: before the person's birthday on your calendar so you know
Speaker 1: your past self squared. This away way to go past self.
Speaker 1: One caveat sizes and interest change, particularly for kids. So
Speaker 1: if you are shopping in February for a Christmas gift
Speaker 1: for your young niece, maybe consider if there is a
Speaker 1: backup person who might also like the gift if she
Speaker 1: swears off unicorns forever. There are several benefits to shopping
Speaker 1: all year. I know this past Christmas, I felt a
Speaker 1: little crunched in the ten days before the holiday, and
Speaker 1: that stress made me feel less festive in general. In
Speaker 1: the future, I'd honestly like to have all my shopping
Speaker 1: done by the end of November, so December can be
Speaker 1: focused on experiences, but you know, it's also fun to
Speaker 1: buy gifts throughout the year when there's less pressure. When
Speaker 1: you buy gifts ahead, you get to enjoy anticipating the
Speaker 1: recipient's delight upon opening the gift. If you like to shop,
Speaker 1: buying gifts lets you avoid buying stuff for yourself, thus
Speaker 1: acquiring stuff you don't need. Plus it spreads out the expense.
Speaker 1: I know many people feel a bit tapped out in January,
Speaker 1: so a little proactive shopping could avoid that. So once
Speaker 1: you've caught your breath from this past holiday season, consider
Speaker 1: being on the lookout for gifts to give the next
Speaker 1: holiday season. If you do, you may have a calmer
Speaker 1: and less expensive December, and you may also feel excited
Speaker 1: and confident about the gifts you give. In the meantime.
Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
Speaker 1: the moost of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you
Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.