11 Tips for Buying Gifts for the Holiday Season | Christmas 2017

As the Christmas Season nears and the gift buying begins some find themselves at loss of where to start or what to buy. Gift guides can help a little bit but they sometimes only give ideas. Sometimes gift guides link to somethings you should not buy on Amazon. Here are some of my tips to survive the gift-giving season.


1. Check their Pinterest Profile for Gift Ideas

If the someone you are buying for has a Pinterest odds are they pin things that interest them and possibly products they want. Lost of people make wishlists on Pinterest. Their Pinterest page could have lots of great ideas! It's a great way to come up with more personal presents than you might find in a gift guide!






2. Check Amazon for Lower Prices

Amazon is known for having lower prices. Amazon sells and fulfills so many products! You are likely to find what you want on Amazon for cheaper. But Be wary of what and what not to buy on Amazon.






3. DO NOT buy Beauty Products on Amazon

The majority of beauty products on Amazon aren't sold by Amazon and you can't guaranty that the products are real. Even fulfilled by products. Amazon doesn't quality check everything. 

Same goes for e-bay or any other online marketplace. You never know the true condition nor if you are going to be sold a knock-off. When it comes to beauty products ONLY buy from a certified dealer such as Ulta, Sephora, Walmart, Target or from the brand itself.







4. DO NOT buy Big Ticket Items on Amazon

No Laptops, Apple Products, gaming systems, or most tablets. For the most part, my rule is nothing over $100. I have heard many horror stories of products being stolen before being packaged for shipping. NEVER buy Apple products as Amazon is not a certified Apple seller. For big electronics go to Best Buy or your local superstore such as Target.







5. ONLY BUY DIRECTLY FROM AMAZON OR FULFILLED BY AMAZON

With Ships and Sold by Amazon you are guaranteed a safe order just like you would from Target or Walmart. But when a product you want is a 3rd party seller, only buy when it is Fulfilled by Amazon. You are guaranteed to get your shipment as it is already at an Amazon Wearhouse. If it isn't right or is broken Amazon will take care if it as if they sold it themselves. 

But beware, fulfilled by products are not quality checked very often so it's always a risk of a used or knock-off product. Amazon handles the products but does not check them often. As long as it weighs the correct amount and is the correct size it passes.







6. Try to buy directly from the brand or a certified dealer

If you buy directly from the brand's website or a certified dealer there is never worry about getting a knock-off. And if it comes damaged or you, somehow, get sent an opened and returned product you know you'll get a new one or get your money back.








7. Gift cards are not always impersonal

Just about every store offers gift cards or take Visa Gift cards. If you are stumped on what to buy, getting a card to a store you know they like can be a lot better than getting a gift they won't adore. 

For instance, if the person you are buying for is a beauty lover but you don't know what products they have, rather than risk buying a duplicate of something they already have or getting something they won't like, a gift card for Ulta or Sephora could be much better.

And if you know they have an Apple product you can't go wrong with an iTunes card. You can buy music, apps, TV shows, movies, and books. iTunes cards are good for any digital content offered by Apple.









8. Etsy is the holy grail

You can find just about anything on Etsy. From photography prints to hand-drawn digital art to paintings to handmade jewelry to DIY Harry Potter props. People make just about anything on Etsy. And the majority of sellers offer custom orders! If you can think it, someone on Etsy has probably made it! Or can make it for you! Plus the prices are usually very reasonable!

P.S. my favorite Etsy shops are DorkfaceShop and Sweet Allure.








9. Buy gifts all year-round

If you see something in a sale bin you know someone will like, get it and put it away for Christmas. My parents did this every year and we could never see the tree on Christmas morning. If you buy little by little all year you end up with quite the haul and you don't have to shell out entire paychecks in October and November. Plus getting things in sales throughout the year will save you a few bucks as well!

I know this one doesn't really help this year but it is something to think about and do next year!







10. DIY Something

A gift is always sweet when it comes from the heart. This can actually loop back around to checking out their Pinterest page. You can look through their pins, find a DIY you can do and give that as a gift. A lot of times supplies for DIYs can be found at the dollar store and DIYing something can be much cheaper than buying something from the store.








11. Avoid gifting clothes

Unless you know someone exact size, don't gift clothing. Guessing can end up with a too big or too small situation. They can exchange it for a different size but most people never go to the hassle. If you have a fashion lover in your life the better option is to get them a gift card to their favorite clothing store.







That's all I have for you today! I hope you found some of these tips helpful! Please leave a like if you did, it's much appreciated! And let me know your holiday shopping tips in the comments down below!

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to message me or leave them in the comments below. 

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Photo Credit: Photo taken by me with a Canon EOS Rebel T5 with an 18-55mm lens and edited by me in Photoshop.

**This post was not sponsored**