We recently conducted our fifth annualy Holiday Stress Survey, which revealed that money, or lack thereof, remains to be a top holiday stress concern for 1,000 adult consumers. Despite the current economic climate, 61% of respondents believe they spend too much money during the holidays.

We asked our gurus, personal finance expert Jean Chatzky, and time management expert Julie Morgenstern, to weigh-in on the survey results and provide tips for surviving and thriving this upcoming holiday season.

It’s no longer what you give but who you give to.

SURVEY FINDING: Last year, when asked what is most stressful about holiday gift-giving, respondents chose “selecting the right gift.” This year, when asked the same question, respondents’ top concern is that the number of people on their list is more than they can afford to buy for.

Jean Chatzky says, “Start by setting a holiday budget—the total amount you want to spend on gifts.  Then divide that number, equally or not, among the people on your list. Stretch your dollars with coupons, which are everywhere this year, but also with creativity. Buy a gift for a couple or a family instead of individuals. Or chip in with one sibling to split the cost on a gift for another.”

Julie Morgenstern says, “To organize your thoughts around spending, come up with criteria for deciding who you give gifts to and who you don’t. For example, consider giving gifts to the children on your list, and business associates. For adult family and friends, suggest gifts which take the form of time together. Host a potluck holiday dinner or knitting party; conduct music or cooking lessons by you (depending on your talents); a jaunt to the movies or the local manicure salon with your gal pals. It will show people that you care, while taking the spending pressure off everyone—and most folks will appreciate that.”

Do I hear discounts on aisle 5?

SURVEY FINDING: When asked compared to last year, what changes they would make this year to their holiday spending, 53 percent of survey respondents intend to spend less on the gifts they buy.  Comparing prices/shopping for sales and clipping coupons also ranked high, at 51 and 44 percent, respectively.

Jean Chatzky says, “You can greatly reduce your spending merely by shopping around, and there are so many comparison shopping sites, to help you. When you find the best deal, take the plunge.  Inventories are leaner this year and you don’t want to miss out on getting what you want by waiting for the price to drop further. But save your receipts. Many retailers will let you capture price reductions for up to 14 days after you buy.”

Venus – you’re more stressed than Mars.

SURVEY FINDING: It’s a fact! As compared to men, women feel more stressed approaching this holiday season than they did last year. While the rank order of the top three stressful activities remained identical between men and women all of the holiday activities noted by the survey cause women more stress than their male counterparts.

Julie Morgenstern says, “To the degree women still tend to feel ultimately responsible for running the household—as well as the ‘go-to’ by filling in the gaps at work left by downsizing—the economic crunch has created significant additional time pressure. Making dollars stretch requires extra hours spent planning out budgets, searching for bargains, monitoring bank accounts and credit card balances to avoid overdrafts, cooking instead of takeout, and doing laundry more often. These added time burdens add stress.”

Holiday crowds make it into the top-three stressors.

SURVEY FINDING: Possibly an early indication for Cyber Monday results, “shopping in crowded stores and malls” ranked among the top three most stressful activities across all age categories, ethnicities, and income levels.

Julie Morgenstern says, “Shopping by catalog or online is a great way to save time, as long as you don’t overdo the browsing.  Shop two to three favorite websites that offer a wide selection. For people on your list who live in another city, simplify mailing by having the site gift wrap and send your gifts directly to the recipient. To keep track of all your purchases, print out a record of every order, including delivery dates for online orders, and store in a file named ‘Gifts Purchased.’”

Jot it down; you’ll feel better.

SURVEY FINDING: With more than half of the survey’s respondents taking time at least once a week to plan, a “to-do list” is perceived as the most helpful tool for dealing with stress, with meditation, and exercise a close second.

Julie Morgenstern says, “I couldn’t agree more. A to-do list gets things out of your head and onto paper. You can take it a step further and transfer to-dos directly onto your calendar.

For every holiday task (i.e., shopping, wrapping gifts, planning meals, etc.), ask yourself how long it will realistically take, and when you will do it…then write that task on the specific day in your calendar you intend to do it. No matter how much is going on, ask yourself what routine activity you find the most grounding (i.e., exercise, meditation, playing the piano), and be sure to anchor your days around that. Never give that up, as it will keep you grounded throughout the holidays.”

Thanks Jean and Julie!

Note:

Survey Methodology- FranklinCovey Products surveyed 1,007 male and female consumers, 18-years and older across the United States through a third-party organization during late September 2009.  The survey’s resulting sampling error rate is +/- 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

November 19:

"Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field."-Denis Waitley

November 19:

When you’re in control you have more time for yourself, you project a more confident, trustworthy image, and you keep appointments, commitments, and deadlines. That’s what happens when you jot down your goals and watch them progresses each day. Start writing your goals in your daily planner and experience the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’re taking charge.

By Dave Ulacia

The holidays are a lot of fun, but they can be a lot of stress as well. If you’re like most of us, you expect a lot of yourself this time of year. Between holiday parties, baking, greeting cards with family photos, and trying to find the perfect gifts for the people you care about, it’s hard to find time to relax and enjoy the season.

Here are a few suggestions to help you reduce shopping stress and add a little more magic to this most wonderful time of the year.

Know Your Budget and Stick to It
Much of the stress of the holiday season comes from feeling pressured to buy bigger and better gifts for those we love, even if this puts us in debt. It’s tempting to show someone how much you love them by demonstrating how much you’re willing to spend. Don’t do it. Instead, determine what you can comfortably spend, make a budget, and stick with it. Staying within a budget can force you to be more creative and often leads to more thoughtful gifts.

Be Efficient
Consolidate your shopping into one or two trips to save time and stress. While it's fun to take long, leisurely days shopping and getting what strikes your fancy, this can add stress to holiday shopping, when you have so many purchases to make in such a limited amount of time. It's simpler to enjoy the shopping while you're doing it, get it out of the way, and enjoy doing other things once you're done.

Shop Fewer Stores
Shopping at fewer stores saves time and hassle. You could save money too. Many merchants, including FranklinCovey Products, offer increased discounts for higher priced purchases. So the more you purchase from the same merchant, the greater the savings.

The Earlier, The Better
Don’t postpone holiday shopping until the last minute. If you shop earlier, you'll have a better selection of gift ideas to choose from, you won't get stuck in the last-minute rush at the malls and the post office, and you'll be able to enjoy being done with your holiday responsibilities so you can just enjoy the season. Earlier in the day is also better. Shopping in the morning, when at all possible, will help you avoid crowds, find displays in better order, and enjoy a calmer atmosphere.

Consider Shopping Online
You can find many terrific holiday gifts right at your computer—in your pajamas. Online shopping is a fast, simple, and efficient way to get the bulk of your shopping done at once. Plus, you’ll save yourself the hassle of long lines and crowded parking garages. Sometimes you can save time by having your gifts wrapped and delivered directly to your recipient’s home.

Get Gift Cards
If you really need things to be simple, gift cards and certificates are a great option. You can find gift cards for everything from movies to massages, and they're quick to buy and easy to send. They still offer a great, thoughtful gift for your loved ones, but make the shopping much simpler for you.

Bring Your Post Office to Your Home
Rather than lugging all of your gifts to the post office and standing in line, just get them to come to you! Visit the USPS website to find out how easy it is to get a postal carrier to come to your door, pick up your packages, and deliver them for you.

Thanks Dave! Did you enjoy this article? Give it a cheer!