Parents are often pulled in a million different directions. You are trying to keep your boss happy at work, find a few moments to spend with your spouse, keep the house looking great and give your children everything that they need. Your life is busy, but you wouldn’t change it for the world! However, it’s great to have time-saving tips for situations that you deal with regularly.
Your child likely brings birthday party invitations to home at least a few times a year, and it’s not always easy to find the time to head to the store and pick out a gift. Put these three simple ideas into practice, and you’ll be ready for gift giving the next time an invitation arrives in the mail!
Make a List
The first step to saving time in gift giving is making a list. Grab a pen and paper, sit down and make a list of all of the birthdays you will be purchasing for in the next six months or so. List your nephew’s birthday, your neighbor’s son’s birthday, and even gifts you might need for your own children.
Of course, you won’t know about every occasion months in advance. Molly might have invited the whole class to a birthday party last year, but she’s just celebrating quietly with her family this year. However, you can make a general “friends’ birthday parties” category on your list.
Start Shopping Early
Once you have your list developed, you can shop for these occasions at your leisure. When you know you’ll likely be buying presents for three 4th grade girls this year, you can pick up a few craft sets when you see them on sale and be ready to go.
Shopping early doesn’t just help you save time; It also allows you to save money. If you know that a birthday party is tomorrow morning, you’ll have to purchase a gift today, even if you can’t find any good deals. Whether you want to give kids lab coats or remote-controlled cars, shopping early is a great way to stretch your dollars.
Stay Organized
Buying gifts in advance is great, but it won’t do you much good if you don’t remember what you have. As a final step, grab your list again, and write down each gift that you purchase. If you tend to forget where you hide gifts, jot down a note about the item’s current location, too.