Time to Shop for Presents

We all know now that is the time of the year to start shopping for presents. I look back now and see that there are so many different ways to go shopping now than when I was a kid.

In Gig Harbor we didn’t have a lot of places to shop in those days. In elementary school years I didn’t do much individual shopping except for my two brothers and sister. We had a ten cent store where we could buy a lot of little things that were under ten cents of course. The other stores that we could shop at in Gig Harbor did not offer a lot for Christmas presents unless it was for something odd or unusual.  So Mom would take us shopping at the Mall in Tacoma where she could buy clothes, toys and other items for presents. When we got into high school the Mall was still the primary place to go shopping; went to the Mall for quite a few years especially for items that were bought at the last moment.

Now though Gig Harbor has a lot more stores that you can actually buy clothes and toys at so no reason go to the Mall in Tacoma unless for something real special.  It helps not to be at places that are so crowded to shop. Now though we can shop on line and this is especially good for those that have to be shipped out of town. Most of the presents now go out of town and why wait in line at the post office to send them. Actually we have a couple other locations that will ship presents out of town as well that don’t have as long lines to wait in. Last year my mother decided to buy some presents less than a week before Christmas which turned out to be a mistake because the cost of shipping was three to four times more than the items she bought. Sent them off anyway however learned a valuable lesson not send presents that are not costly through the mail at the last moment.  I am sure would have saved at least half of that amount a week earlier or waited until after Christmas. So this year shop earlier in the stores or shop on line with shipping included.

We have so many different ways of shopping these days. Those you buy for your family and friends nearby can wait to do so last of all and those to ship a distance do it on line.  It is nice to go out shopping for presents at the local shops to see other people doing the same thing.  Another idea would be to go shopping at the shops and not buy anything. Just go for the enjoyment of seeing others shop.  I enjoy sitting in a chair watching people go by especially those with small children.  Other words I do it for sure entertainment value. Whatever way you shop have a very good holiday season.