by Cathleene Filmore

Created on: September 17, 2010   Last Updated: October 15, 2010

Holiday shopping does not have to be stressful in fact it can be quite fun if you start early and shop in the right places.  Start by making a list of who you need to buy for.  If you do not know what to get each person on your list not to worry because there are several websites that will help you come up with a perfect present for everyone. 

Shop Early

Although shopping the malls can be fun for some people during the holiday season, they can be much more enjoyable when saved for a last minute giftor an occasional purchase. Another reason you will want to consider shopping online this year is because many retailers’ are cutting back on their in store stocks due to the economy.  Choose to purchase the majority of your gifts early and online for the best shopping experience this season.

Shop Online

For one stop shopping opt for websites such as Amazon, Zappos and Overstock.  These websites carry a huge variety of items from cosmetics to electronics and they are very simple to use as you can keep adding purchases to your cart until you are ready to check out in one fail swoop.  Everything will be shipped to your doorstep or delivered to the recipient should you choose.  If you have eco friendly friends and relatives on your list you may want to check out Green Livingand Green Living Online.  Green Living Onlinealso has product reviews.  These retailers offer a wide selection of eco friendly gifts for everyone on your list.  Service gifts can be personal and time efficient as well.  Gift certificates for a day at the spa or dinner out are usually welcome by everyone and very eco friendly.

If you have book lovers on your gift list then you will want to check out Barnes and Noble online and Crate and Barrel; they were both voted one of the top 10 online retailers for 2010. You might also consider purchasing an Amazon Kindle; an eco friendly way to download new books without cutting down trees.  Any book lover is sure to enjoy the new Amazon Kindle.  More gift buying ideas are the Wii Bundle, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, all expected to be among the top 10 gifts for this holiday season.

Use a Personal Shopper

If shopping online is still too time consuming then you may want to try Easy Place to Shop. Easy Place to Shop is a one stop store much like Amazon and Zapposhowever Easy Place offers something extra in the form of a virtual concierge.  When you log onto Easy Place you will be greeted by the virtual concierge who looks a little like a cartoon character.  The concierge will help you locate gift for everyone on your list and Easy Place Place offers everything from antiques to toys and even tools.  Yahoo Shoppingalso offers a great service; you can shop for just about everything on your list and check out one time. Should you have an extra shopping list this year you may want to consider using a personal shopping service for part of it, delegate those items on the list that are not pertinent for you to find yourself.

Once your shopping is done take full advantage of a gift wrapping service.  If you enjoy wrapping presents then reserve a stack for yourself but do not try to do them all on your own; a gift wrapping service is well worth the time you will have saved to spend with friends and family.  Holiday shopping does not have to be stressful, in fact it can be quite fun if you shop early, shop online and use a service to help do your wrapping.

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