Holiday Shopping Hacks to Save Time

Save Time This Holiday Season with these Shopping Hacks.

Did you know that each year North Americans spend an average of 15 hours holiday shopping? That’s a lot of time, especially when the holidays are considered to be the busiest (and most wonderful) time of the year!

Yet Canadians are looking for efficiency when tackling their holiday shopping – in fact, according to a recent survey, 65% of Canadians plan to do some or all of their holiday shopping online this season (spending 38% of their gift budget), and it’s not just tied to the potential of saving money. Fifty-four per cent of Canadians cite the reason they prefer shopping online is the time spent checking out.

Being able to capitalize on small moments around the holidays – even if it’s just a couple minutes here and there to sit down and enjoy a coffee amid the hustle and bustle – makes a big difference.

There’s a lot of buzz about how to save money around the holiday season, yet saving time is equally, if not more, important. There are a number of time hacks to increase shopping efficiency this season – here’s some to consider:

  1. Make a list, check it twice

Roaming the Internet hoping that perfect gift for Dad will pop up can be a serious time suck. Write down everyone you plan to buy a gift for along with your own gift ideas for each person and a corresponding budget. Don’t forget to include everyone on the list, even those who will receive small gifts like neighbours.

  1. Schedule a time

Setting aside specific windows of time to get your holiday shopping done rather than doing bits and pieces here and there will ensure you can check off your list quickly and stay on track.

  1. Avoid last minute shopping

You know who you are…inevitably, consumers can find themselves completing their holiday shopping right down to the wire. There’s nothing more hectic than never-ending wait lines, crashing websites, and searching multiple vendors to find your favourite product in the right colour or size. Avoid the stress of last minute shopping and make sure you stick to the time you’ve scheduled for yourself in advance.

  1. Take advantage of digital wallets like Masterpass

Having to type in your card number and shipping address at checkout every time slows

you down – especially if you’re doing the majority of shopping online. Masterpass is asimple, secure way to pay online using any debit or credit card (from any institution) on any device (desktop, tablet and mobile) without having to input your details every single time. It’s literally like skipping the line at the checkout – and who doesn’t want that? Here’s a video that provides more background about how Masterpass works.

  1. Wrapping

Although wrapping presents is something many look forward to, not everyone feels the same. If you don’t think you have the golden touch when it comes to wrapping, save yourself the sweat (and tears) by looking for a professional wrapping service or kind neighbour/friend who can help you get the job done in a fraction of the time.

Here’s to a happy – and relaxing – holiday!