The holiday shopping season gets just plain nuts sometimes! You know how it goes, everyone sing along…
Strings of street lights, even stoplights
Blinking bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures…
Is that you? Are you one of the shoppers rushing home with your treasures? Did a frantic parent nearly trample you while you were out? Did you see people who are supposed to be caught up in holiday cheer losing their tempers in an effort to grab the perfect gift out from each other’s hands?
Happy holidays everyone! Now get out of my way and gimme my pumpkin spice latte!
Why is being merry so exhausting?
Take Advantage of Your Other Options
Fortunately, there are people out there who spend their time studying holiday shopping patterns and then telling us what days tend to be the most and least busy. Below you will find three lists: 1) the most crowded shopping days by date, 2) the least crowded shopping days by date, and 3) the best windows of time to shop by days of the week.
- Most crowded shopping days by date:
- Friday, November 23
- Saturday, November 24
- Saturday, December 8
- Saturday, December 1
- Saturday, December 15
- Friday, December 21
- Saturday, December 22
- Sunday, December 23
On these dates, unless you are desperate for a particular price or item, it might be better to just stay home and put your feet up. Mull some cider, make some popcorn, and spend the day watching holiday movies.
- Least crowded shopping days by date:
- Thursday, December 13
Yup, that’s it. There’s only the one. Strap on a good pair of shoes and go shop!
- Here is a list of the best windows of time on certain days of the week to do particular types of shopping:
- Sunday during the day is a good time to go to department stores and arts and crafts stores.
- Sunday evenings is when you should go to electronics stores.
- Monday mid-day is the best time to buy cosmetics.
- Monday evening is the best time to shop for clothing, jewelry, and candy.
- Thursday is the best day to shop at bookstores and hardware stores.
- Friday during the day is the best time to go to big box retailers.
- Friday evening is the best time to go to toy stores.
Yes, you want to get the gifts on your list. And yes, you want to get the best sale prices you can. But your time, and your peace on earth and goodwill toward mankind are important too. Keep that in mind as we head into this holiday season. Knowing your priorities will help keep you happy and healthy, even in the busiest times!
