How to: be an efficient shopper

It's crunch time, folks. For you last minute shoppers, this time of the year can be super stressful. You have 2 days left until Christmas and only a few hours to complete your gift list. Are you going to make it on time? Follow these steps to maximize your time and make your shopping experience as effortless as possible.

1.) Look before you leap.
If you can, try to get an idea of what you're looking for. That means using your resources- online stores, newspaper ads, commercials, etc. You'll definitely save time if you're not wandering around aimlessly. When you know what you're looking for, you can plan for what shops to hit and which ones to avoid.

2.) Dress code in effect.
Ladies, those new heels may be cute, but now is not the time. Make sure you wear your walking shoes, because you're going to be doing a lot of it! Wearing good shoes helps your stamina because you won't be taking as many breaks or running out of energy because of sore feet.

If you plan to buy something for yourself, you might want to consider wearing clothes that are easy to change out of. I suggest something along the lines of cardigans and zip-ups.

3.) Map it out.
Have a sense of direction. Know what stores you need to hit/want to hit and where they are located. This way, you won't need to waste time by walking around in circles going back to stores you forgot to go to.

4.) Build some muscle.
If you have heavier items, you may want to consider buying them last so they don't weigh you down while you shop. However, you need to consider Step 3 (Map it out) and how to balance the two. If you don't mind walking around with heavier items, then by all means, go ahead. For those that haven't picked up a set of weights in a while, you may need to do some tweaking to Step 3 and go back to stores you've passed.

Bonus: Food and washroom breaks.
So for me personally, I like to eat and take washroom breaks before I head out to the mall so I don't waste time sitting around at the food court. You might want to consider eating beforehand anyway so you're well energized. Whether you decide to eat at the mall or beforehand, try to eat lighter so you don't feel sluggish from the food sitting in your gut as you hustle about.

With all this in mind, this should only be done when necessary. Otherwise, it does take the fun out of window shopping and looking at things you probably won't buy.

Happy holidays!
xo A Talentless Mess