Christmas Shopping

My kids are funny. They won't let my wife and I talk about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. They are always running around telling us to, "Respect the Turkey." Now that the day of feasting has passed, we can focus our attention on the biggest holiday of the year.

A decade ago, we just worried about Black Friday. Now we also have Cyber Monday, which was yesterday. When I got off the plane and into my office, my inbox was flooded with countless e-mails from every possible online retailer. The funny thing was that I had finished all of my Internet Christmas shopping. I still have one or two gifts to pick up, but they are the kind of gifts that I need to pick up in person.

As you go your own Christmas shopping on the Internet, there are some things to keep in mind:

1. Shop early. This morning I got an e-mail from FedEx saying that severe weather has hampered package delivery. This could happen again and so you don't want to assume a last-minute purchase will arrive on time.

2. Shop around. You may think you are getting the best deal at one site, only to discover you could have done better somewhere else. Doing a bit of looking will help keep you from discovering you could have paid less.

3. Shop quickly. Some of those great deals won't be around forever. When you find something you like at the best price possible, grab it. Assuming you can pick it up the next day may be a mistake. While you may be able to find it at a better price the closer it is to Christmas, you also run the risk of it being unavailable.

4. Shop with a budget. It is very easy to use your credit card to pick up all of your Christmas gifts. However you will eventually have to pay for them and you don't want to spend above your ability to pay.

Remember that this is the holiday season and it is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year." If you find yourself getting frustrated or angry, take some time off and relax a bit. Then try again when you feel better.