5 Tips for Avoiding the Stores During the Holidays

If you dread the holidays because crowded stores and bright lights spike your pulse, there is a solution. Just stay out of the stores. This holiday season, keep your sanity and stay in your flannel pajamas. We have five tips that will help you make it to 2020 without ever stepping foot in a brick and mortar shop. 

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Amazon Prime 

Almost everyone has Amazon Prime these days, and for good reason. You can order pretty much anything you can imagine with a single tap, and it will arrive at your door in two days, free of shipping charge. Amazon allows you to create shopping lists, so you can make one for each member of your family. Prime members can now order groceries too. Use the time you save ordering gifts on Amazon to watch the many shows or movies you can stream through Prime Video.

Target 2-Day Delivery 

Target is catching up with Amazon and now offers two-day shipping. The price is always right at Target, and you can choose store pick-up if that makes more sense. If you work close to a Target, dropping by before your evening commute might get you your order more quickly. Yes, you will be technically entering a store, but if you have already ordered, there’s no waiting in long lines or the potential for last-minute impulse buys. And let’s be real: it’s impossible to shop at Target without either of those. But if you plan well for gifts, two-day delivery is pretty fast, and there’s nothing to lug home. 

Grocery Delivery 

Grocery delivery is life changing. It’s just so darn convenient. With grocery delivery, you can sit down, make a meal plan, and then search the store’s site for exactly what you need. There’s no more remembering which aisle the ketchup is in. There’s no more waiting in line behind a lady with a billion coupons. And best of all, you don’t have to load the car and carry the bags up the driveway. 

Shop Before Thanksgiving 

One way to avoid stores during the holiday season is to be done with all your shopping. Buying gifts can get crazy as it is pushed off to the last minute. Suddenly, you’re rushing around for the perfect thing for everyone in your family, and you stop thinking straight. That’s when you buy impulsively and overshop, and that is when stores become a source of anxiety. So skip the stress by planning ahead of time and hiding all the gifts somewhere in the garage. Ideally, get them all wrapped and ready to go. It will feel so good to pull them out prepared on the eve of your family gift exchange. 

Take Advantage of Cyber Monday 

Cyber Monday is a fairly newly coined day where online retailers offer major sales. It happens the Monday following Thanksgiving. Gone are the days when you had to camp out and make a mad rush as the doors open on Black Friday to get an amazing deal. At midnight on Cyber Monday, check your online wishlists for what’s on sale. And by the way, most retailers have their Black Friday sales going through their websites, so do the same on this day. Combining the two will get you the best deals while keeping you away from the craziness. 

There are several practical things you can do to avoid the mad rush at stores this holiday season. But it may make the biggest difference to shift your perspective. Your kids don’t need ten presents each, and adults might even consider forgoing a gift exchange and planning a family fun day instead. Keeping the focus on family and gratitude this holiday season will go further in reducing shopping stress than any other hack.

Looking for ways to keep the holidays stress free this year? Here are 4 Tools Every Millennial Mom Needs In Her Arsenal This Holiday Season.