I have a reputation among family and friends for choosing the perfect Christmas present. People tell me they look forward to getting my gifts, which are uniquely matched to their interests and hobbies. Best of all, I don’t pay a lot of money for them. I buy many gifts on sale or secondhand. Often, my total Christmas spending for everyone on my list is around $150.
My secret? I shop all year. When the holidays arrive, I already have a stockpile of presents ready to wrap and I’m able to avoid the dreaded holiday rush. I personally call this strategy “slow gift buying,” though the idea of mindful shopping, as opposed to thoughtless impulse buys, is also known as “slow shopping.”
What is slow shopping?
Slow gift buying has many benefits. Instead of rushing to get something right before Christmas, I have the luxury of waiting until the perfect gifts appear, since I’m on the lookout for gifts all year long. Because my costs are spread out over the year, I don’t put a dent in my savings or go into debt during the holidays. I love getting enthusiastic comments from people on how much they appreciate their slow-sourced presents.
Courtney Gaiman, who’s made a career out of helping people choose presents, agrees that buying gifts slowly results in more thoughtful presents for friends and family and a less frantic holiday season. Gaiman is the owner of Bow and Bestow, a personalized gift concierge service. “The hard truth is that gift recipients can sniff out a ‘good enough’ last-minute gift selection from a mile away,” she tells TODAY.com. “A thoughtful gift says, ‘You are important to me.’”
The hard truth is that gift recipients can sniff out a ‘good enough’ last-minute gift selection from a mile away. A thoughtful gift says, ‘You are important to me.’
Courtney Gaiman, owner of A Gift Concierge service
I didn’t come to slow gift buying on my own. I come from a family of frugal women who lived through the Great Depression and two world wars. They didn’t have much money for gifts so they had to be creative. My Dad’s mother, Nanna Levy, did all her gift buying in the post-holiday clearance sales and stored presents away until the following year. My Aunt Uta only bought presents on sale and kept them in a special closet. Great Aunt Mary was a notorious regifter, rewrapping presents and passing them on to new owners. My mother was a master thrifter, constantly finding unusual items in secondhand stores that made memorable gifts. They taught me the value of frugal gift-giving.
Here are some of the best strategies I’ve learned over the years for slow gift buying.
Be on the hunt all year long
I’ll admit slow gift buying can take some dedication.
Throughout the year, I listen to what friends and family say about their interests and watch what they buy for themselves. I keep a note on my phone about potential gifts for them. Then, when I’m shopping and see one of these items, I buy it and store it away.
Take advantage of sales
Do you ever go to a sale looking for something for yourself and end up seeing items that would suit others — but it’s nowhere near their birthday or the holidays? This happens to me all the time. If I’m shopping a sale, I keep an eye out for things my family and friends would love. I always find at least one gift.
Consider regifting
The easiest (and most economical) gift-giving option is regifting. I often receive presents that reflect the taste of the giver and not mine. They may not be right for me, but they could be perfect for someone else. Just be careful not to give a present back to the person who gave it to you, as my Great Aunt Mary once did.
Expand where you shop for gifts
I find most of my gifts in secondhand stores. Our culture discards so much stuff — books, housewares, clothing, toys and more — often lightly used or nearly new. It’s not unusual to find clothes with the original sales tags intact. I shop for secondhand items online, too: I get most of my daughter’s Christmas clothes on sites like ThredUp and eBay, and I often buy barely used books for family and friends on AbeBooks or Better World Books.
Thrift stores also save you money, are good for the environment and have social benefits. Stores such as the Salvation Army channel profits into social programs, including rent and utility assistance. I look for stores with well-curated stock and high turnover and visit them regularly. Once staff get to know my tastes, they’ll often inform me in advance about sales or even offer discounts.
And one place most people don’t think to look for gifts? Supermarkets. Especially when I’m traveling, I love to check out the housewares and children’s sections in supermarkets for fun, low-cost gift ideas. Some chains are unique to a certain region, such as the Piggly Wiggly in the South, and they may stock local products that aren’t available nationally. For example, when I visit friends in the midwest, I look for local brands of honey, hot sauce and herbal teas to bring to my family back on the East Coast.
Get organized
It’s a good idea to keep presents in one place so you can keep track of what you’ve bought. I use a dedicated drawer to store gifts over the year. This helps me avoid buying multiple presents for the same people, because I can see the gifts every time I add something new.
If you’re prone to forgetfulness, it might also be smart to keep a list — on paper or just on the Notes app on your phone — of all the gifts you’ve purchased, and for whom.
Slow gift buying could soon become a full-blown trend. Giving secondhand gifts is on the rise, for one. A recent survey from OfferUp shows that 68% of shoppers plan to spend part of their holiday budget on secondhand gifts. And people are also shopping for holiday gifts earlier these days. According to data from the National Retail Federation, 45% of shoppers will begin shopping before November, which is up 40% from 10 years ago. (Hey, it’s not January, but I’ll take it.) And according to a recent survey from Affirm, while holiday spending is on the rise, nearly three in four consumers say they plan to prioritize slow shopping.