Your house is gleaming and you‘re exhausted. A beautiful spread of tantalizing goodies lay before you, but you can’t muster the strength to taste them. You remember your evening will be filled with fighting the traffic and the crowds as you spend hours shopping to get everyone that one special gift. Thankfully there is a light at the end of this seemingly long tunnel! Here is some great advice to make your holidays a little more stress-free:

Make a list and check it twice

Santa double checks his list, that’s something to remember when you head out to the stores this holiday season. It’s always best to make a list of the people you need to buy for ahead of time and take it with you to the store. That way you can check people off as you buy the gifts. If someone on your list needs several gifts, (i.e. your kids) you can make hash marks next to their name until you come up with the desired amount of gifts. This will help you get your shopping done and avoid an unwanted extra trip back to the store.

Plan Ahead

They say the early bird catches the worm, and that couldn’t be more true than when it comes to holiday shopping. Everyone knows someone who’s done shopping in September. We may look at them and think... why are they shopping so early? However, after-Christmas, back to school and pre-holiday sales can benefit your pocket book as well as your peace of mind. In fact, the people who shop early are said to be much less stressed during the holidays. Just in case this doesn‘t fit your personality; there are times at which shopping for gifts can be less hectic. For instance, retailers say mornings are the best time to shop especially at the beginning of the week.

Tie it up with a bow

It happens to the best of us. We start wrapping those presents and realize we are all out of paper half way through the gifts. No one wants to run back up to the store after they’ve already started. Do a quick check of your supplies ahead of time and take a list with you when you do your gift shopping.

Shop from home

There are a variety of ways to shop at home these days from online, to mail orders. You don‘t even have to leave the comfort of your home. Many of these companies will even offer wrapping, cards, and shipping. This is an easy and personalized way of sending gifts to family and friends that are far away.

Avoid impulse gifts

Give yourself plenty of time to make purchases the receiver will love. No one wants that extra stress of having to return unwanted gifts. Put the items you’re not sure about on hold and come back to them if you don’t find anything else. This way you’ll be sure that is the best item for that person. There is nothing worse than buying something and having to return it because you found something better.

Non-refundable

Never buy something as a gift that is non-refundable. Be sure to buy gifts from stores that offer a refund or exchange policy. Make sure you get gift receipts and wrap them with your gifts. However, bear in mind that some gift receipts do not qualify you to make a return. Be sure to keep an envelope handy with the original receipts so you have them readily available should one of your recipients need to return… especially if you give clothing.

Find the short line

Most stores offer cash register services in multiple departments that some people don’t think to use. Take a look at the photo counter, electronics counter or the jewelry counter. These counters often have shorter lines than the ones located by the exits. This small hint could save you time and stress this holiday season.

About the interviewer: Noel Sommers has been featured in numerous authority magazines for in-depth interviews with such classic figures as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and more. Noel has a Master’s Degree in Personalized Santa Letter Science and is currently partnering with www.PackageFromSanta.com as a Santa Letter consultant. Noel has been nominated for the North Pole Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.