[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/how-to-save-time-on-holiday-shopping\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/how-to-save-time-on-holiday-shopping\/","headline":"How to Save Time on Holiday Shopping","name":"How to Save Time on Holiday Shopping","description":"Many people, especially women, enjoy shopping enough that they don’t mind taking a few hours out of each weekend to spend time at the local shopping centers and malls. But when it comes time to do holiday shopping a lot of people find it’s sometimes just a little too hectic for their tastes. Here are...","datePublished":"2016-08-22","dateModified":"2016-08-07","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/author\/mark\/#Person","name":"Mark","url":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/author\/mark\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/131cfccbaaff5083caadb2ebb178119fe605ab5a0bdcf4a00e7f2ec170a49434?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/131cfccbaaff5083caadb2ebb178119fe605ab5a0bdcf4a00e7f2ec170a49434?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reflective Dynamics, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/time-management-plans-blog-logo.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/time-management-plans-blog-logo.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/holiday-shopping.jpg?fit=300%2C233&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/holiday-shopping.jpg?fit=300%2C233&ssl=1","height":233,"width":300},"url":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/how-to-save-time-on-holiday-shopping\/","about":["Systems"],"wordCount":685,"articleBody":"Many people, especially women, enjoy shopping enough that they don’t mind taking a few hours out of each weekend to spend time at the local shopping centers and malls. But when it comes time to do holiday shopping a lot of people find it’s sometimes just a little too hectic for their tastes. Here are some time-saving tips that should make the holiday shopping experience a little less stressful for you this year and maybe for many years to come.Drive to the Farthest Shopping Location FirstIf you assume you’ll spend 1-2 hours at each location, and you’re prepared to spend 6 hours shopping (7-8 if you stop to eat at least once), then you’ll want to leave the shortest trip home for last. So make a list of the 4-5 shopping locations you want to visit and plot them on a map (your GPS or Smartphone should help you do this).Start your day by driving to the farthest shopping location from home. You’ll want to arrive early but not so early that everyone is exhausted from lack of sleep.Organize your shopping lists by storesUse online maps to decide where to park and how to get to your chosen stores quickly. Having a shopping list that matches the order in which you’ll pass your stores makes a lot of sense and you’ll spend less time doubling back.You should have a shopping list for each location you drive to. But you want to be careful about making duplicate entries. Oftentimes we visit 2 or 3 branches of the same major retail chain during our shopping trips just to find the exact item we want.However, you’ll love this next tip.Order your merchandise online for in-store pickupSure, you can just have these gifts shipped to you but you’ll save on shipping charges for most if not all items that are scheduled for in-store pickup. Also, the store won’t sell you broken merchandise, so you should be almost guaranteed to always receive your merchandise in excellent condition.You can easily note on your shopping list which items you were able to order online and which ones you’ll have to search for.The only likely problem for in-store pickup is that you may not be able to arrange all the pickups on the same day, but aim for that.Plan to eat lunch a little bit early or a little bit lateCome noon-time every restaurant in or adjacent to a major shopping location is going to be packed. But you don’t have to eat at those restaurants if you time your travel plans well. For example, you can stop for lunch in-between shopping locations 2 and 3, or between 3 and 4 (depending on how long you shop at each location and how hungry you are).You can pack some water bottles and very light snacks in your car just to tide you over. Avoid candy and chips as the sugar rush will leave you feeling drained and tired after about 30 minutes. A good shopping day snack might consist of a diet protein bar and a bottle of water or non-sugary tea.If you are car-pooling with a friendYou and your friends should plan to meet at whichever home is closest to the last shopping location. Leave as many cars there as will be legal and safe.If everyone is tired and hungry at the end of the day you can stop for takeout and bring dinner home to that house. Then you can all relax before driving home with your gifts.Organizing your shopping trip this way should help you feel less overwhelmed by the experience. Knowing where you have to go next, and that it is taking you closer to home, will help the day pass quickly. And if everything goes as planned, you’ll have those presents wrapped and waiting under the tree in almost no time.Did you like this article?  Please share it with your friends and visitors to your Website.  Tell people about www.TimeManagementPlans.Com.  Thank you."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"How to Save Time on Holiday Shopping","item":"https:\/\/www.timemanagementplans.com\/how-to-save-time-on-holiday-shopping\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]