8 Pieces of Green Holiday Shopping Advice

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With the holidays approaching and Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) not too far off, I figured I’d dish out a little green holiday shopping advice. Just a few tips that might help you safely navigate through the holiday shopping rush. You can take them or leave them, but if you are looking to save money and time I suggest taking a few moments to check out our list:

1 – Make a gift list: When it comes to buying gifts, making a list is essential. List out all the people you need/want to get gifts for, then note some ideas down next to each one along with the total amount you want to spend for that person.

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2 – Department stores aren’t always your friend: There are many department stores that offer HUGE sales during the holidays. That doesn’t always mean they are offering the best though. Go online and shop around, do some homework. You’ll get more bang for your buck that way.

3 – Opt for classic rather than new: Many consignment stores and/or vintage stores can offer great deals for gifts. Besides, why buy something new when you can find something that has been lightly used and will mean much more to the person you are buying it for.

So many great products go to waste everyday, its better to re-use and recycle than to throw away. This goes for items you already have too…go through your house and find items you don’t use anymore but that someone else could use. Take them to a consignment store or donate them.

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4 – Yes, I’m going to say it….re-gift: Now this is a tricky one sometimes as you have to be sure you aren’t re-gifting straight back to the person who gave you the gift. But, in all honesty, if you aren’t using the gift, then give it to someone who will use it. Why let it go to waste? It wasn’t that you didn’t appreciate the gift, it’s just that you never found a use for it. So…find a use for it – give it to someone else.

5 – Plan your shopping day ahead of time: Knowing where you need to go and planning your route can help you save time, gas and money. You’ll also find you will get a lot more accomplished if you plan ahead. Some pieces of information key to doing your planning are: the time the stores open, which stores have special deals and what time of day those deals are valid. Try and avoid lunch/meal times.

6 – Shop online when sending gifts: If you have family and friends that you aren’t going to visit this year, but you want to send them gifts. Do your shopping online. It cuts down on drive time, traffic and the crowds you’d have to deal with by going to the stores and then trying to get to the post office on time.

Find sites that offer green packaging and can wrap then ship your gift directly to your intended recipient. It saves you time and money and the person gets their gift on time.

7 – Watch out for excess packaging: So many items are packaged using excess plastic and other packaging materials. Try to avoid items like that as they are simply wasteful. When the person opens the package all of that is usually thrown away. Look for items that don’t require a lot of packaging.

8 – Please keep in mind that not everyone “requires” a new gift. Sometimes making dinner, spending some one-on-one time, making a photo album or other personalized gift (a nature wreath, a bouquet of flowers, candle holders, etc) can mean much more than a store-bought gift.

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So there’s my two cents when it comes to some green holiday shopping advice. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and that you find some great, green deals out there. If you have any other green shopping tips you’d like to share, I’d love to hear them!