Holiday Shopping Tips

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I thought this was a great time to share these holiday shopping tips originally published on Valentine's Day 2006. 

Here are a few brief tips to avoid the stress and rush of last minute shopping:

1) Birthdays---Write all important birthdays of loved ones in your calendar. This can be done once a year if you purchase paper calendars. If you use an electronic calendar this only needs to be done once. Set a time once a month to shop for cards or gifts.

2) Weddings/Showers/Etc.---When you receive the invitation, take a moment to mark your calendar and RSVP. While you have your calendar handy, set a time to shop on-line or in store for a gift. For best selection on gift registries, shop soon after you receive the invitation.

3) Major Holidays (Christmas/Hanukkah/Etc.)---Shopping year round can be a great way to reduce stress and spread out the expense, but only if you keep the items in one place AND keep a detailed record of what you purchase for whom. I have worked with many clients that forgot about their year round purchases and ended up shopping at the last minute anyway.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Do you need to conquer the clutter in your closet? Carolyn will be presenting "Conquer Your Closet" through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed on Friday, March 15, 2013. Register with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed. 

Holiday Returns

Carolyn making a holiday return at REI in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

This past Christmas, Santa brought my family a few items that were not just right. 


With all of the extra stuff that the holidays brought to our home, things were getting a little cluttered. Leaving the packaging in place, I separated the items we really did not need.  


Then I went about gathering the receipts that I could obtain and scheduled making the returns in my calendar. 


Between appointments last week, I made my returns and even found a couple of bargains, making sure I did not bring more into the home than I left with. 


Overall, the process was super easy, especially at REI in Ann Arbor, Michigan where a fellow shopper agreed to snap a photo of me with REI team member, Matt (pictured above at left). 


I did not have the receipts for a couple of items, but it was clear where they were from. Both stores offered me a gift card credited with the lowest item price. In one case, the store credit was so low that I did not feel it was worth it to make the return (this item went into my re-gifting box). However, I accepted a gift card from the other store and will make a point to use up the credit for something that we need in the near future. 


In many cases gift cards or gift certificates do expire. Be sure to make a point of using up those gift cards in the next few months, before they expire or get lost in the shuffle. 


Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. On Saturday, January 14, 2012 Carolyn will be presenting "Simply Organize the New Year:  5 Simple Strategies to Keep Your New Year's Resolution" at the Women's Health and Fitness Day in Ypsilanti, Michigan, a free event.