Top Tips on How to Make Christmas Toy Shopping Easy

Top Tips on How to Make Christmas Shopping For Kids Easy

It is nearly that time of year again! How did it come around so fast?! There are many schools of thought when it comes to Christmas, and there is generally a clear line of those who shop early and can smugly watch from the sidelines as the rest of the world waits until November to begin. Or if you are adventurous - Christmas Eve! Yes, this 100% does happen!

Let's look at some ways to plan for Christmas, manage your money & avoid all the pitfalls related to shopping for the kids this festive season.

Planning: Start Early

If you are not typically an early shopper, do not panic! There are easy ways to start the process early, so you can hit the silly season with a clear idea of what you need, for who, with what money and by what date!

It starts with a simple list! Be it on paper, on your iPhone or if you are so inclined, on a spreadsheet. (We all have that one friend, don't we?) Jot down the names of everyone on your list: immediate family, friends, co-workers, teachers & so on.

Sit down & have think about what each person wants or needs. Have you heard them mention something they've had their eye on? Make some notes or ideas and move to the next person.

When you finish making your notes, you usually have clear ideas and plans on gifts, and you can then head into the buying process with a clear head and are less likely to get confused when you hit the shops!

When it comes to the kids, it can be a little more challenging. They can like anything from soft toys or even asking for Robux! Browse here for some ideas to get started. 

Do You Ask Kids What They Want or Just Surprise Them?

Every child is different and might tell you throughout the year what they would like for Christmas (or in general!), but others keep that information to themselves, only to reveal it on Christmas Eve! "That's okay Mum, Santa knows what I want. He is magic and I don't even have to tell him!"

So how can we avoid this? A great tip going around this year is that every time you are out and your child asks for a toy, simply say: "Great idea, let's take a photo of you with the toy, and we can send it to Santa (so I’ll remember for Christmas)". This means you have a great list on your phone of what they want, where it is & what the toy looks like!

As kids get older and more astute, it might be harder to pry information out of them. This is where it can be good to get your family to keep an ear out on your behalf. Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, and close family friends can also hear things we may miss, so get your spy network up & running early.

If you have exhausted all options, then asking your kids to write a simple list will be the best option. Be it a list to you or a letter to Santa, it will give you all the clarity you need to start shopping. Nb: Casey's Toys runs an annual Letters to Santa promotion, which is a perfect opportunity to get the list there!

Managing Your Finances

It is so easy to go overboard at Christmas. If you are anything like us, you always buy more gifts than you need (Read: boxes of chocolates that you demolish while wrapping one night). Not to mention you then end up at Woolworths or Coles on Christmas Eve buying copious amounts of cheese, crackers, and fresh cherries, just in case.

As we mentioned, if you start planning early, you will have a great idea about what you are looking for well ahead of time and can pick up things when they are on sale! If you leave it to the last minute - you not only risk it selling out, but you will always end up paying full price. This is particularly helpful when it comes to stocking fillers, gifts for school friends, nieces & nephews etc.

Casey's Cash is a great example of ways to make your dollar stretch even further. Generally run in September and October, you earn $1 back in Casey's Cash for every $10 spent in store.

Head to Pinterest and check out some fantastic Christmas Savings lists & calendars. While this is ideally done early in the year, it can still give great ideas on how to start stashing the pennies away.

Keeping Gifts a Secret

First and foremost, do not tell the kids what you got for their teacher, friends, or family members! It will likely come out as soon as they get the opportunity to spill the surprise! "Aunty Bell, guess what we got you! "

Secondly, if you are hiding gifts from the kids, make sure to change your hiding spots each year. Kids are crafty and will search until they find the pot of gold! Find some boring places that no one would think to look in! Great ideas include:

High cupboards are always ideal if you have it.

Source an old box and keep in the garage if appropriate

Using gym bags to fill and hide in your wardrobe

What to Do if Kids Change Their Mind About Toys You Have Already Purchased!?

When purchasing your gifts, ensure the store has a returns policy. Find out ahead of time so you can buy with confidence and know you are happy with the return options if the gift doesn't work out.

If you have purchased some larger items early, keep an ear to the ground as the weeks roll by and see if your child is still requesting that toy. If not, you will have ample time to change the plan and prepare things for the big day!

Tips to Not Over or Under Purchase

Like we said earlier, it all comes down to planning! As you purchase, make sure you look back at your original list & note down what you have purchased for each person. Doing this will allow you to see who you have or haven't bought for, what their items are and if you are fastidious, how much you have spent per person & in total! If you have a sack to fill it is easy to over or under-buy. You think you have more than you actually do and the sack looks a little lackluster! You think you don't have enough, over buy and the child either ends up with WAY too much, or you end up at the refund counter with everyone else on Boxing Day!

Tips on Cultivating Gratitude & Appreciation in Kids

With some children being spoilt now more than ever on Christmas day, it is worthwhile taking the time to consider and help those that are not so lucky. This will help to cultivate a genuine appreciation & gratitude for what your children receive & help temper that 'entitled' attitude that so many children have today.

We all remember the days of the Kmart Wishing Tree! Your parents would take you to Kmart, and you would excitedly get a tag off the tree and work on selecting the best gift for this child. The excitement about trying to find the best toy for this child you knew nothing about tended to leave us feeling warm, fuzzy & content we gave back.

Nowadays, it is a little different, and there are organisations like Simply Giving that help charities run online toy drives (to minimise multiple identical donations, limit the environmental impact of logistics costs etc). Nevertheless, it is an easy way for you to show children how easy it is to give back and help those less fortunate.

A constant dialogue throughout the year is best so that children can learn slowly that this is an ongoing issue, not one specific to Christmas. After you have had these discussions and made donations where possible & give to whatever charity means something to you at Christmas, it will all add to your children's learning. They will see that the time spent with family is what is important, and they will be grateful for whatever gifts they receive, because they have noticed that there are those within your community that go without.