I’m not a shopper by nature. I would rather go in the store, buy what I was after, and leave. I will go out of my way and go to a store in a strip mall to avoid going into the mall. I do not window shop.

If I know what I want, I will order it online to avoid going shopping at all. To avoid shipping charges, I will have it sent to a local store and then pick it up when I am in the area.

All of this goes out the window at Christmas time. I LOVE shopping at Christmas. I love the hustle and bustle. The crowds do not bother me. The weather doesn’t bother me. I love Christmas shopping in the snow. It is exciting to me.

It isn’t just about shopping. I love finding the perfect gift for the person. I try to avoid gift cards unless I just can not come up with something within my budget. I will put a personal touch on my gifts when I can.

My other goal is to get the most for my money. For example, if I know someone wants something in particular, I will put in the time and energy to find it at the best price possible. That way, if it falls under my budgeted money, I can get them something else they want.

I have thought about making this a job at Christmas time or even all year for those that WANT to get a personal gift for someone but just hate doing the legwork. For me, it’s the thrill of the challenge. It’s the thrill of finding that perfect gift for the person. I could easily meet with a person, find out WHO they are shopping for, find out their budget, and then just have a ball finding that gift. If I thought there was a big enough demand for it, I would start it tomorrow. Sadly, people are trying to SAVE money, not spend more money just to avoid gift giving. They will take the easy road and just give a gift card or money.

I wonder who else is out there like me, hates shopping for myself, but will spend hours shopping for gifts for others?

Happy shopping everyone!