Last year you swore. You swore it over your Playstation, your CD collection, your dream of owning a Manolo's pair someday, and over your Harry Potter books—next year you would start with your Christmas shopping by Thanksgiving.

But next year turned into this year. Even if you swore you would have your Christmas shopping done by December 15th, here you are, again, December 23rd, in the middle of a commercial center, infested with crazy souls, trying to get something, anything, before Christmas Day. You realize you are, yet again, part of the bevy of people who will end up buying the wrong presents for the wrong people due to the wrong planning.

But don't stress. It's still November, right? This means that the former never happened, and you still have time to get your Christmas shopping done in time. Want some help?

1. Make a list, and check it twice. But really make it and stick to it. The first step towards successful Christmas shopping is organization. Write down the names of the people you are shopping for. Then make a pause and think about them, one person at a time: their hobbies, their needs, their latest favorites...

Try to remember what you bought them last year—for obvious reasons, this is important—and write it down too; it may give you ideas for other gifts. And remember: impersonal gifts should be our last resort, not the first!

2. Find what you are truly looking for. Once you have your list nicely checked, you'll have noticed that, perhaps, some of the items are hot ones. This means that you blink and they're gone, due to the other million people pursuing the same things. The chances of getting these gifts increase when you don't leave your shopping for the last days. If there's something especially pursued this year, you might want to get it as soon as possible.

3. Save money. Christmas time means fantastic holiday shopping deals. You might find the bag you purchased today with a nice discount ten days later. But keep in mind that sellers seem to be aware that desperate times call for desperate measures, which for them means people paying extra money without too much fuss if they are shopping under the last minute syndrome. What to do then?

Well, it's all up to you. Weigh the possibilities: do you want exactly that item, or do you think you could get something else and save money in the process? Are you ready to wait for a discount that may never happen? If you start your shopping earlier it might help you to save money. The offer is wider and you'll have time enough to compare prices.

4. A world beyond the crowd. As odd as it may sound, this is a true fact. Beyond the madness of big commercial centers, millions of local stores exist here and there. They're often cheaper, usually less crowded, and most important, they may still have the item that's sold out everywhere else. Shop around to find the best deals.

5. Cyber-shopping. If you really can't stand crowds, or if it's hard to find some particular gift in your area, internet shopping is an option you might want to consider. There will be no people bumping into you, no fights for the last iPod, no strong headache for days...screaming children, fender benders...lack of parking spaces—definitely worth consideration. Besides, it's not unusual that online shops start their best deals early.

6. Ok, but...what about Wish Lists then? Some people like to wait until they have the safe Wish Lists in their hands from family and friends. Doing your Christmas shopping early might mean less presents from those lists. But then again, it's all up to you. You can either press for the lists to come earlier, if it's family and close friends, or just stand on your own choices based on how well you know them. Anyway, you can always change items in most stores.

Stay tuned to ACED Magazine for some holiday gift ideas in our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide—it will be up before you can say, "Oh crap, it's December 23rd!"

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BeLa   |2007-11-26 10:54:54 Well, you are mi idols, I am a hipocrite and still have nothing, lol. It's like I know the theory but... Just yesterday I went and tried to get something from the shopping center near my house. An hour later I was back home, gulping an analgesic, with my hands empty and angry with the world and the crowds and with having friends [smiley=tongue] I'll try again today, lol. [smiley=wink] Reply 0   0

Amber   |2007-11-26 09:56:13 I am almost done with my shopping...well, ok i am half done. But at least I am half done! I hadn't heard of DealTaker.com thanks!! Reply 0   0

Dylan   |2007-11-26 09:50:02 I was one of the lucky people who got almost all of my Holiday Shopping done before Thanksgiving. I use bargain-hunting sites like DealTaker.com throughout the year to get a jump on things. Reply 0   0

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."