Apparently Manitobans have left all of their shopping to the last minute – so here are my best tips for last minute shopping.
– If you’re hitting the mall most of them have coat check and gift wrapping now – can cut a lot of your time, and make you more comfortable in the crowds since it’s about 2 zillion degrees in the malls right now 😉
– Make a list before you go of everyone and everything you need, try to plan out your route in your head as it’s quite busy. If you know what you want and need to run in quickly, go with a friend and get them to just drop you off and pick you right back up after.
– A lot of stores are staying open later, and a lot are even having their boxing day sales on so plan your shopping for an off time if you can.
– If you don’t want to leave the house to do it, check out teambuy and groupon for some good deals and gifts. You can buy an item (which they’d probably only get in february so be aware of that part) or buy a certificate for a local activity or restaurant.
– Snackbox has their gift boxes you can order in 1,3 and 6 month increments – easy to shop for and they’ll get a surprise every month.
– If you’re really stuck and have a lot of gifts to get, you can always do a large gift for a whole family, or do a theme gift too. Snacks and a movie, bath stuff and a book – just customize it for the person.
– Another easy way to shop quickly is to shop local – hit up an area with a lot of stores nearby and walk around. For us in St. Boniface there’s Popp Chocolates, Librarie a la Page and several other great stores all in a row, so it’s a quick run and you get some really neat gifts.
What are your last minute shopping tips? Are you done your shopping or are you cramming it all into the next few days?