How to Avoid the Gift Buying Ghosts of Christmas’s Past
(PRWeb UK) December 13, 2010
According to Big Fat Balloons, the online balloons, teddy bears and chocolates store, Christmas shoppers often find themselves plagued by the ghosts of Christmas’s past.
In an attempt to help shoppers put a stop to the haunting, Big Fat Balloons has named and shamed the ghosts of Christmas shopping. As managing director, Sophie Baxter explained:
“Shopping for Christmas gifts should be fun. Yet we’ve all experienced those moments of despair and the feeling that time is running away from you. By identifying the ‘ghosts of Christmas gift buying’ and providing solutions to overcome these unwelcome visitors, we want to put the fun back into Christmas gift shopping.â€
The ‘Ghost of Indecision’ often appears when an individual is buying a gift for a person who already has everything. Preparation is the best defence. Throughout the year note down different gift ideas. They can be outrageous, boring or expansive, but at least it provides a bank of ideas to select from when Christmas arrives. Expensive ideas can easily be substituted for cheaper equivalents. For example, while perfume might blow the budget, the matching shower gel could be more affordable.
Who hasn’t met the ‘Ghost of Pointless Christmas Presents’? Thousands of pounds worth of gadgets are buried in cupboards throughout the country. To destroy this ghost always think twice, before buying Christmas gifts. First, ask if the gift has real purpose or wow factor? For instance, while the Furby was soon confined to the history books, electronic consoles including the Wii, Nintendo DS, Sony Playstation, have a certain longevity as new games are available all the time. They’re also great at keeping the kids (and even the husband) quiet.
The second question to face is â€" will they really appreciate this Christmas gift? Again it’s about going beyond the novelty factor and working out whether or not the gift will have real value for the recipient. Wine charms might appear to be a novelty gift, but they’re a fantastic way to stop the Mother-in-law from always claiming the full glass of Pinot Grigio!
The most dreaded of all ghosts is the ‘Ghost of Nightmare Credit Card Bills’. While it’s possible to hide from this ghost for a while, the bill will finally arrive. Tackling this ghost head-on is the best strategy. Putting money away each week throughout the year, makes Christmas a much easier financial burden to bear. It’s also important to set a budget and stick to it. Even better use cash rather than credit cards, which makes overspending less likely. If credit cards are necessary, Big Fat Balloons advises adding up the cost as you go along â€" at least this avoids nasty surprises in the New Year.
Procrastination is the best friend of the ‘Ghost of Last Minute Christmas Gifts’. Stop this ghost in its tracks by being organised. Make a list of all the Christmas gifts required and add ideas for each person. Then pick up Christmas gifts throughout the year or set one of two days aside to get all the Christmas shopping finished.   Â
The sneakiest of all the Christmas gift buying ghosts, is the ‘Ghost of Disappearing Time’, which creeps up when you’re not looking. Suddenly it’s days from Christmas and there’s still a list of presents to buy! Organisation and preparation, both help to banish this ghost, however delegation also works.
Ask for help, after all, the old saying ‘many hands make light work’ certainly rings true at Christmas.
Another time-saving trick is to buy Christmas gifts online. In fact, online Christmas shopping can save hours. Just think, no more sore feet from trailing around the shops, no more waiting in queues and no more traffic jams on the way home. At http://www.bigfatballoons.co.uk guaranteed Christmas delivery dates, give peace of mind that Christmas gifts will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas Day.
Follow the Big Fat Balloons guidelines and the ghosts of Christmas’s past will stay well and truly hidden, allowing everyone to enjoy a very happy Christmas this year.
# # #
©Copyright 1997- , Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
No comments:
Post a Comment