Overthinking Christmas Shopping? Try This Simple 4-Gift Method to Keep It Fun and Stress-Free!

If you’re an overthinker like me 🙃, then Christmas shopping can get very overwhelming.  “Will they like this?” is probably said in your head in the month of December alone probably 800 million times and even when you think you have an answer, you second guess yourself 🤦‍♀️. Anyway, you get my point, Christmas shopping can be hard with a brain like this!

Years ago now, when our children were still young, I decided to shop differently to help my brain out. I saw someone on Facebook share that they used this certain way to shop for their kids. I was instantly intrigued by the idea and gave it a go that same Christmas and I actually liked shopping for Christmas that year! It was so easy too! I didn’t have to aimlessly walk around the store trying to find the perfect gift! I just followed the plan, and it was so good for my overworked brain!

There are other variations of this that I have seen through the years, but this one felt right. 4 gifts and a stocking (I love buying stocking gifts!) was plenty of stuff for my kids and it kept us within a price limit that we were comfortable spending without going overboard.

I also know that this won’t work for everyone. Some people don’t want rules put on them when it comes to gift giving and that is totally fine. For me, this freed up space in my brain and I needed that!

So, let’s talk about it!

Something They Want

Exactly what it says….what is something that they have been asking for? And you can definitely take this as high up in price as you want. Do they want a new computer, or do they want that $50 Xbox game? You get to make this work for you.

 Something They Need

This is where you get to act like Grandma 😄. Have you been finding holes in their socks or underwear when doing the laundry? Perfect! This fits into this category. Or maybe they need new boots or a jacket for the winter. The options are endless.

Something To Wear

This one is always a fun one! My children grew up with hand me downs for most of their clothes, so it was always fun and nice for them to receive something that was brand new. I know from having three teens now, something to wear and something they want are where you’ll probably score some brownie points with your kids 😉

Something To Read

Make this one fun! It doesn’t have to be a book that you get. Maybe they really love a magazine…you could get them a year subscription to their favorite magazine. Younger kids would love to get something in the mail that had their name of it, it would make them feel so grown up 🙂

In the end, Christmas shopping doesn’t have to be stressful, even for us overthinkers! By following a simple plan like the “Something They Want, Need, Wear, and Read” approach, you can keep things focused, meaningful, and much more manageable. Instead of getting caught up in endless choices, this method lets you enjoy the experience, knowing each gift has a purpose and will be appreciated. So, take a deep breath, let go of the gift-giving overwhelm, and let this framework guide you to a more joyful, intentional Christmas with your family. Happy shopping!