How many times have you had to run out at the last minute to get a birthday card or even a gift? Rather than having something that is uniquely geared toward the person you are gifting, you present them with the first thing you found that seemed appropriate – and probably paid too much for it as well.
With my large family, birthdays roll around several times a month at my house. Last minute gifting would have me in a padded room in no time. There is a way around that celebration craziness and it’s called organization. I term it cluster purchasing because you do it all at once.
You can do this monthly or quarterly – which ever works best for you. At the end of the month, check the calendar for the next month and make a list of the birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions that you will need a card or gift for. To your list, add any events that you will need to prepare for – a new dress for an important client dinner, for example.
The last weekend of the month, take a day and choose all of the cards that you will need. Buy the gifts for the month, and add any additional items that are on your list. Don’t forget gift wrap and ribbon.
When you get home, wrap each gift, attach the card and put it away until it is needed. You can do this quarterly as well, although that is a bit more expensive and time consuming.
It seems like a no-brainer, but so many of us do procrastinate and find ourselves in a whirlwind of stress on the day of the party. Try this method and see if this part of your life doesn’t get much easier.
photo credit: Liz West
