Once you have kids, Christmas becomes all about them. You want them to have those magical Christmases that you had as a child. If you didn’t have them as a child, you want your child to experience what you didn’t. These thoughts often turn into us, as parents, overdoing Christmas for the kids. We spoil them with lots of presents, each one more expensive than the last.
That’s not what Christmas is about though and it is important to remember that, especially if you are on a budget. This doesn’t mean that you should have a meager Christmas, it can still be grand and wonderful.
Here are a couple tips for Christmas shopping for kids:
Babies have no clue what they are opening.
Ok, so that’s not totally true, they will know that it’s a toy, etc, but let me tell you a little story. On my daughter’s first Christmas Tickle Me Elmo was all the rage. My husband and I bought her that, plus a dancing Winnie the Pooh and several similar toys. We spent hundreds because it was just so fun to think about how much she was going to love all of it. Do you know what happened? She played with the boxes. Seriously. That entire day she wanted to play with boxes and didn’t care at all about the expensive toys.
Buy ahead to Score the Best Deals
I always make it a habit to shop for Christmas year round. This way you can take advantage if sal we a as they come up and it also is more freeing to not have to put out a bunch of money all at once.
Make a Plan and a List of What You are Going to Buy
Do not be one of those people who walk through the store with no clue what you are going to buy. If you head out shopping without a plan, you will increase your stress tenfold. You will spend a significantly amount of time shopping and you will spend a lot more money.
Do not get Caught up in the Christmas Shopping Frenzy
If you find yourself getting caught up in the hectic Christmas shopping trap, you will spend more money on gifts and more time in the malls. Neither one of those things sound good to me.
Do you have any favorite tips for Christmas shopping for kids?
