The Zen of Christmas Shopping
This article is posted under Mindsetting.
It’s been a week since my last post and I guess you now know what I’ve been busy with.
After spending the past few days in Christmas bazaars, shopping malls and Divisoria to buy my holiday gifts, I could say that my shopping list is now (almost) complete.
Interestingly, getting stuck for hours in traffic and braving the frenzied holiday crowds have made me ponder about Christmas shopping and how the experience affects us.
And after doing all those bargain hunting, haggling and gift buying, I came to realize a number of things and wrote them down as a list which I now call The Zen of Christmas Shopping.
Check it out below and tell me how much you agree with them.
The necessity of having a presence of mind
A few days ago, I saw someone in a bazaar standing still and deep in thought right in the middle of the store alleys, almost indifferent to the waves of people passing by her. It looked amusing and I could only assume she was trying to remember the items on her shopping list inside her head.
It’s so easy to get lost inside bazaars and spend beyond your budget if you don’t have a written Christmas shopping list. And with hordes of people all around, you can’t afford to lose your presence of mind or you risk losing more than just your time and your sanity.
Zen Tip: Buy with a budgeted shopping list in hand.
The fine line between useful things and useless clutter.
A lot of people try to collect and complete their stickers for the Starbucks Planner – but I wonder how many of them actually use it after they get it. I’m assuming not many because I rarely see anyone carrying last year’s planner today.
A planner is certainly useful, but it readily becomes useless clutter when you decide to keep your appointments somewhere else. The same goes for giving them as gifts, it’s certainly a good present, but only if the receiver is the type who uses one.
Zen Tip: Buy stuff that have real use and value.
The rewards of investing in quality.
A couple of years ago, I spent a lot of money for a laptop backpack as a gift for myself. While there are more inexpensive choices in the market, I decided to go for quality and durability over price. That’s something I still do today.
If you can afford it and it’s something that will be used often, then it makes sense to spend a little more if it means getting better quality and service. Know what is needed and buy the best product that can satisfy those needs.
Zen Tip: Buy the best of the things you need everyday.
And that’s it, your three simple tips on how to make your Christmas shopping decisions simpler, easier and a little bit better.
Looking for more tips? Check out:
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Photo credit: stillframe
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Hi, my name is Fitz and this is my blog.
I personally still use the Starbucks Planner I got as a gift last year.
And plan to still use the one I got this year. 
hehe. but you’re right. we should give gifts that people would actually find useful. 
You’re one of the handful I know who uses that planner elleica.
hehe.. i love planners. but one per year is enough.