Get a jump on holiday shopping

I know, I know. It’s not even Halloween. While the calendar may not yet be at the holiday season, stores across the country are beginning their holiday sales season. It’s never too early to get a jump on your holiday gift planning.

Remind your group to update their Giftster list so you can begin planning. Not everyone may jump in and get their lists current, but you can at least plant the seed now. This way, when they see something they’d like as a gift, they can remember “hey – time to put that on my Giftster list.”

Start getting your budget together. While you may not be able to get your “to purchase” list together right away, you can get your budget ready. Set your budget and, if you haven’t done so already, begin to set aside some money for those gifts.

Scope out the stores. If you know a person in your group likes a certain store from the other items they have on their list, begin to scope out the stores. Take the time to join the store’s mailing list (either email or regular mail) or follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter. You may get extra opportunities to save money with coupons or other special offers.