Shopping for anyone for the holidays can be challenging to say the least. I know how hard it can be just in shopping for my kids alone, who will be a new born and a 21 month old! You can read how I shopped for both of them this year right here. The same could also go for your spouse. If you are like myself and my partner, I usually make a list of a bunch of things and give it to him to pick from the list. We do try to be moderate however we make sure included in our max price we do add however the stockings too. Unlike him though, I try to get as much stuff done as possible where as he tries to wait the last minute to get everything done! Here are the tips that I can think of that end up making gift giving each year a little bit more easier.

Find a theme and stick to it! When it comes to my partner themes are an easy thing. Right now he is fixated on wanting to do out doors things. You know camping, hiking, fishing etc. Since we still have young children I dont think we will be doing a whole lot of camping right now due to money perhaps and lack of resources. However this is a great opportunity for you or myself to find gifts you can add together to make great gifts! For Fathers Day I had gotten him a multi shovel and something else (I have no idea what) from our son. This is also a great way to find some smaller gadgets to add to his stocking as well as some larger gifts. Just this year I found a good deal on a bigger item so I was able to purchase it for him. Finding a theme for something they love is great. For the first few years we were dating I would get a few new shirts or articles of clothing. He NEVER bought himself clothing so this was something I would get him with funny graphic shirts all of the time. He always laughed and would wear them until obviously there is only so many clothes a person can have.

Think about the staples! These are the basics that you continue to buy every year over and over again. This would be in our case his stocking. I always try to get him some type of shaving cream, hygiene products, some fun candy that I know he likes and little gadgets as well for whatever reason. One year I added a new phone cord since he is horrible with his and they seem to have to be replaced multiple times through the year. I also get him underwear too. Another staple would be something little like a keychain or something that he also may want. I have even gotten gift cards for steam or checked out his wish list and added that to them as well too. Only I told him to check it Christmas day so he would have a new game to play or something as well too.

What are the things that your spouse loves! This may be one of the hardest things to control since it may not seem so obvious and you may need to really think about it. For me, my partner loves gaming. Now without spilling the beans by chance if he decides to read this I wont be mentioning it but I looked at the games he played and thought if there was anything I thought he would really enjoy though. Maybe your love likes cars, or makeup or something like art. You can for sure figure out more things and build off of that. Maybe they have something that they need to upgrade and have been holding out for whatever reason. That also is possible! Finding something they love and building on that can be really nice, and maybe you get bonus points for actually remembering or knowing what they enjoy doing outside of spending time with you!

And lastly, KEEP NOTES! This seems to be like a no brainer, however I know I never really started doing it til a few years ago and well, it works! When my spouse and I first started to date I would tell him not to buy anything starting in the fall because he is the type of person where if he needs something he would simply buy it. Where as I am the type of person where if I need something I would save my money and justify myself buying it eventually. Whenever we would be out or watching tv or something and he mentioned he wanted to upgrade, buy, save, or splurge on something I would make a note. Either mentally or on my phone. Mentally obviously is a bit more tricky if you forget things however I would start a note on my phone and start saving ideas. This way I never forgot and eventually when they time came to start Christmas Shopping I was able to have some what of ideas and a list ready to go for it. This makes things super simple not to mention I can start a private list on Amazon for example where I can check and see if prices are going up or down and when to buy whichever item.

Christmas shopping for your loved one does not need to be complicated. However if you do some simple steps it can sure make it a lot less of a headache than waiting last minute as well too. Whichever you decide I am sure that you will also find something that they adore and will enjoy! There really is so many options to find out that you can’t go wrong, Unless well you barely know them and are guessing!

Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to shopping for the one you love?

Do you like to make lists or do you wing it and go last minute as close to the Holidays as possible?

Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear what you think!