Holiday Tip of the Day: Shopping List!

The shopping list: it’s a holiday-season lifeline! Think of it as an explorer’s map, or an extra lobe of the brain. Used properly, a holiday shopping list will save time, money and wear-and-tear on the family car.

Make a Holiday Shopping List

A seasonal shopping list is the closest thing to a personal shopper, so start a list today. To make one, print several copies of our free printable shopping list, and include it in your Christmas notebook--or use simple lined paper to create your list.

You’ll subdivide the list according to your own needs, including everything from a running grocery shopping list to reminders for gift wrap, seasonal or crafts supplies. Color-coding can make it easier to focus on crafts or food or clothing sections; do what works for you!

Tucked into the Christmas planner, the shopping list is a faithful friend. Use it to capture fleeting “must-buy” moments. Did you find a UFO crafts project that needs only a bit of ribbon to complete? Write “ribbon – green plaid” on the list. Will the children’s school hold a holiday food drive? Note “extra cranberry sauce” under the grocery section.

Second step: check the list before you leave the house—or take it with you. It’ll jog your memory and help you make good use of small bits of time. Waiting for a child to finish a tutorial session? Make a quick turn into the crafts store down the street for that self-same ribbon, and cross the project off the UFO list.