Christmas shopping has already begun, because Christmas is just around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about what to give loved ones and those who have served you well throughout the year; your hairdresser, Mr. or Ms. Mani & Pedi and the mailperson (whether you know who he/she is or not. I forgot last year, and my mail delivery hasn’t been the same). So let the Christmas Shopping Begin!

If you have a large list like mine, you might want to do a little organizing. I used to organize by type (clothing, toys, hardware, etc.), and then select a Christmas shopping day for each age/gender group (I told you I had a large list).

As I thought about Christmas shopping, I remembered Jim; the talented grill man who works the omelet station at my job, a man who has remembered my breakfast order five days a week for three years running (There’s no shame in being predictable in that way, and egg whites are good for you!). I want to show my appreciation, but I can’t afford very much because my shopping list is so long. He wouldn’t accept money; that would be crass in this situation (unlike Mr. /Ms. Mani/Pedi and the mailperson), but I just want to let him know how much I appreciate the fact that he remembers my order every single day.

Adding Jim to my Christmas shopping list, has put me over the edge, both in terms of budget and sanity. But what do I do? I want everyone on my list to have some token from me, but how do I do it in a way that relieves me of some of the stress, time and not inconsiderable money associated with the search for that many gifts?

Online shopping, here I come! There are an amazing number of online gift shops that provide a variety of unique gifts, and during the holiday season you can save money with discount or free shipping. Now that’s Christmas shopping I can live with!