I have to say it. I hate holiday shopping. I don’t get giddy over 5am freebies or salivate at the thought of finding the perfect parking spot. However, I do love a bargain. And I think I’ve cracked the code for surviving the absolute hell that is post-Thanksgiving-weekend Christmas shopping.
- Go on Sunday. Most of the door busting and jawbreaking and hair pulling is done by then, but shops are still dying to get you in the door. I got some screaming deals at a couple of clothing stores this way.
- Go early. It’s shockingly quiet on a Sunday at 10am. I found parking. I got in. I got out. I didn’t even need to wait in line at a register. It was amazing.
- Finish early. I noticed a steadier stream of shoppers once the noon hour hit. Whether they’d just rolled out of bed, or were coming from brunch or church, it was a noticeable difference in crowdage in the early afternoon.
And that’s it! Easy peasy. I’m happy to say that all of the major stuff is bought and boxed already, and it only took a few hours.
My final tip/personal rant: If you’re cruising the parking lot for a space and you see a woman loading her child, purchases, and stroller into her car, keep rolling. Nothing incites greater ire in me than someone backing up traffic because they believe that my parking spot is precious and unique. Even at my most efficient, the whole carseat-stroller rigamarole takes 4 minutes. That’s about the amount of time it would have taken your greedy butt to circle the parking lot again AND find a suitable space. So don’t waggle your fingers at me, honk your horn, or give me an exasperated look. Move on. You’ll do the entire parking lot population a favor.