We talked about making lists previously on the holiday shopping guide, but we didn’t talk about how we keep track of everything we need to do during the busy holiday season. To keep track of your list if you have a large family, or more than one person is doing the shopping is often cumbersome.
Enter googledocs. Simply build a spreadsheet, input the names and gifts you are giving, and share it with whomever you choose. My husband and I have been doing this for several years, and it has made our shopping experience so much easier.
If you don’t have access to googledocs, you can use a spreadsheet on your computer, or Evernote which allows you to share your list with others.
Lucky enough to have GoogleWave? You can create a wave for Christmas shopping, perfect if you have a large group of people to share your gift list with.
You can also use the same method for planning holiday meals, making sure you include everyone on your holiday card list, and planning parties, or which parties you will attend. A google calendar would be a great option for planning where you will be over your holiday vacation. Family members and friends can subscribe, so they can find out when you’re available.
How do you stay organized over the holidays?
Kelly
Holiday Shopping Guide 2009
- I don’t do Black Friday: This is my 1st post in the series. I talk about why I don’t shop for “deals” on Black Friday.
- How to spend smarter this holiday season: my 1st of 2 guest posts over at Consumerism Commentary. I cover ways to spend less, including handmaking gifts and decreasing your shopping list. Please head over and leave me a comment.
- Shopping Lists: How to craft a shopping list for holiday gift giving.
- Photo Gifts and Giveaway: Photos are one of my favorite gifts to give!
- 30 Gifts under $30 by RedPlum: 30 gifts under $30 as part of RedPlum’s Frugalicious Holiday.
- Crocs: Yes some of them are hideous, but some of them are adorable, and so comfy too. Crocs is offering 10% off and free shipping through the holidays.
- Posh Gifts for Less: and a $10 bonus for signing up with Rue La La. They are also offering free shipping after your first order.
- Free photo book: Offer may still be valid.
- Restaurant.com Coupon Code: These make a great gift for someone you want to spend more time with, or a supplement for a gift certificate.
photo credit: Rex Roof
I wrote a guest post on Consumerism Commentary titled “How to Spend Smarter this Holiday Season.” One of the ideas I mentioned was creating a “sale mail” email account. I got a ton of responses about the idea so I wanted to share it with you. I have been using a separate folder in my personal gmail account, but thought I should follow my own advice.
In 3 easy steps you can have a sale email account. The benefits to this are:
- all your sale info is in one spot, it’s easy to find
- you can keep yourself from purchasing impulse buys when you get your emails by creating a passive barrier
- you never miss a sale email
1. Sign up for a new email account.
Signing up for an account is easy, you just need to choose a name, password, security ?, and link it to another email account in case you forget your username or password.
I chose kellysalemail which was open.
2. Set up filters.
I like gmail since they make it easy to set up new accounts, delete bulk emails, and use filters. I personally don’t use the filters a ton, but you could set up one for each category: Home, Kids, Women’s, Men’s, etc. Or you could use one filter or tag for each place you shop: Pottery Barn, Rue La La, Nordstom’s, etc.
3. Get emails!
After your account is set up you can go to your favorite sites, and add the new email address. I went to my new favorite sale sites like Gilt, Rue La La* (click on the link for a $10 credit!), and HauteLook and changed my email. I also signed up for emails from my favorite stores.
Over the next month whenever I get a sale email they go into a folder in my personal account, and I can click on the links at the bottom of the newsletters or sale emails and change my email in the preferences on the site. I have had 2 sites already have no option to change my email address (or at least it wasn’t obvious) so I just deleted my account, and then signed up with my new email address.
For now my inbox is empty, but as it starts to fill up I may start putting other filters or labels on emails. Typically I would check it once a week (like I do with my folder in my personal account) and delete old emails with one swipe. Just choose them all and delete, since many of the offers will have expired.
Hopefully this tip will keep more money in your pocket by decreasing impulse buys, and letting you look for relevant discounts and sales.
Do you have a sale mail account? Will you set one up?
Kelly
* If you click on the link for Rue La La, I get a $10 credit, and so do you!
