What to buy for who?

Think about instituting a wish list system.

It is soooo much less stressful if you know exactly what a person would like as a gift. 

No guessing on your part. Think about asking extended and immediate family who you usually buy gifts for, to create a Christmas wish list for each person. 

If they include specific product names/brands/sizes/colours and possibly a web link, that's even more helpful.

My husband has actually set up a small website for his side of the family, it allows each person to list their wants and needs, and I can look at each list and hit 'reserve' when I see a gift a would like to buy for that person off their list.

Clicking 'reserve' tells the other family members looking at that specific list, that I will be buying that specific gift, so there are no double-ups. Once I've actually bought the gift, I hit the 'purchased' button, so family will see I've bought it. But the person who I've bought if for does NOT see that.

Now, I can see and edit my own list on the site, but I cannot see who or if anyone has reserved any of my items or if any members of the family have bought items for me off my list.

The end result of chaotic Christmas shopping!

This little site has taken sooo much time off my Christmas shopping, I just love it.

Before, we were sending emails back and forth to different members of the family saying 'I bought xyz for so and so' and someone would email back 'Nooo, I've already bought her that!' People would be asking what the kids would like and I'd forget what I'd suggested to who. Darn it.

But still, even without our little website, having wish lists takes so much guess work out of the Christmas shopping fiasco.

You may encounter some resistance from die-hard fans of the surprise! element of gift-receiving but work on them, it will be well worth your while....