1. Avoid the holiday rush

Black Friday is the official start of the holiday shopping season, and the crowds aren’t likely to dwindle from the stores until well into January after the returns marathon is over. You can avoid excessive crowds and the frustration that often comes along with them by starting your shopping now. By the time the rest of the shoppers are in full gear, you can be done and relaxing with a good book!

2. Items are in stock now

With all of the shoppers around the holidays, toys and other popular gifts often sell out quickly. Take advantage of the shelves being fully stocked earlier in the year to be sure you won’t have to settle for another gift if you find your first choice has disappeared close to the Christmas holiday. If your item is missing from the shelf now, at least you will have plenty of time to wait for the store to restock before you are down to the final shopping day before Christmas.

3. Your budget will thank you

Instead of waiting until the traditional holiday shopping season to spend hundreds of dollars on gifts, try spreading your purchases throughout the year. It is much easier to budget for one or two gifts each month than to budget for enough gifts to cover everyone on your list in one month. That way, if you find yourself short on extra spending money at the end of the year due to unexpected expenses, you can rest easy knowing you’ve already found something wonderful for your friends and family members.

4. Seasonal gifts

If your family is planning to take a vacation next winter and you want to surprise your daughter with a new swim suit for the occasion, go ahead and buy it now then store it away until Christmas. Swim suits and other seasonal gifts like bicycle are easier to find in the stores during the season they are typically used, making these gifts harder to find in the months leading up to Christmas. Save yourself the frustration of trying to find them later and purchase these types of gifts now.

5. Perfect weather

The Christmas season is famous for snowy weather and terrible road conditions. Starting your shopping now while the weather is still warm will help you avoid heavy traffic in bad weather conditions, helping you to be in a better mood when you are shopping for gifts. No one wants to deal with car accidents and snowy roads when they are trying to choose symbols that show their friends and family how much they love them. If you get your shopping done ahead of time you can curl up on the sofa with a cup of cocoa while you watch it snow outside instead of being out there in it.
By starting your Christmas shopping now you can be sure you have plenty of time to find the perfect gifts for your loved ones and not worry about fighting the bad weather and crowds only to find empty store shelves during the holiday season. You budget will thank you, your loved ones will thank you and your sanity will thank you for doing your shopping early!
Guest author Barbara Day is a volunteer for her children's school and uses this site to decorate for the holiday season and was able to find her Christmas tree here