Do You Have Any Advice For Surviving The Christmas Shopping Season?

Like it or not, the Christmas shopping season 2004 is upon us. So come on, grab your credit card, put on your comfiest pair of killer heels and let's show those amateur shoppers how it's done.

By the time they've located the novelty pajamas in the in store 'Christmas shop' you'll be done and able to get on with the rest of your life.

But, for those about to shop, here are.

The Rules

1. Start shopping as early as possible.
You'll probably have noticed (and missed) the pre-Christmas sales that have been running at most shops since last month. So get your skates on and grab a bargain, there are still some stores offering discounts.

2. Write a list of everything you need to buy.
Include every last little thing - pressies, crackers, cards, wrapping paper, ribbon, bows, sticky tape, the lot - and stick to it.

3. Resist the urge to impulse buy.
The notion that 'Christmas comes but once a year' starts to grow a bit thin after you've been through 20 or 30-odd of them. And besides, there's always next year.

4. Do try to clear your existing credit card balances if you can, before you hit the shops.
Mounting debts make the burden of Christmas shopping even worse.

5. Use cash for small purchases - cards, stocking fillers, novelty gifts, chocolates etc.
This way you'll see how a few 'cheapie' purchases soon start to add up.

6. Try to keep all your Christmas gift purchases on one credit or store card. Otherwise come January you'll feel as though you're being endlessly bombarded with bill after bill.

7. Resist the temptation to treat yourself when you're out shopping. You know your sister won't really appreciate it if you shop for yourself and then tell her she can 'buy' it for you for Christmas.

8. Set aside a few afternoons or a weekend or two to do all your Christmas shopping.
Remember, shopping is addictive. And whatever you do, resist the temptation to 'panic buy' a few extras as we get closer to the 'big day'. Everyone else might be submit to the Christmas Eve shopping frenzy but you don't have to. Relax.

9. When shopping online make sure you shop only from sites that offer secure payment facilities. And keep a copy of all invoices and email receipts so you can check them
off against your credit card bill.

10. In fact, keep all your receipts and check them against your statement.

11. If you can, get the shop to give you a 'gift receipt'. These are offered by some retailers and come without the price you paid printed on them thus enabling the recipient to exchange the item for a different size/color/something else, hassle-free and without being treated as though they're a shoplifter.

12. Do remember that come January you're going to have to pay for all your purchases.
So don't shop like there's no tomorrow - or you could find you're still paying the price this time next year.

And, once it's all over...
And girls, once Christmas is over and all you're left with is some 'natty' day-glo tights, a 'lovely' new jumper and a huge credit card bill, don't get downhearted.

Christmas is so last month and the January sales are just around the corner. And there are some things that are worth getting into a frenzy over. Out of my way, I'm coming through...