I am proud to say that I achieved my goal of not stepping foot inside a mall this season. Yay!!!!!!! I did all of my shopping either at craft fairs or online. More cheers!!!!!! This is the first year I have attempted such a feat, and after trying it I definitely plan on doing it again next year.
The males in my life were the most difficult to shop for. There aren't as many options from independent sellers for guys...or I guess just didn't know where to look. I happened across an artisan outside of Charlotte who forges weapons out of steel rail road spikes, so I got one gift there. I also visited the REI website and got some outdoor gear for my dad and my brother.
Frustrations
I did come across some frustrations, like when I ordered two items from an Etsy seller only to find out they were out of stock of those particular items until really close to Christmas. They gave me an immediate refund though, so I'll probably try to buy from them again later when I'm not so crunched for time. But frustrations like these paled in comparison to the frustrations I've felt in years' past running from store to store trying to find gifts at the last minute and forcing them to work.
Top 4 Reasons Why I'll shop Indie/Online again Next Year:
#4. I found that shopping online offered more selection than in stores. I could browse though tons of merchandise while sitting on my couch, and since I was looking at handmade goods most of the time, it was so much more interesting than walking around Target.
#3. I felt much better about the money I was spending. Even though I was going broke (ROTFL), I knew that my money was going somewhere worthwhile, and not just....say....paying a store's rent at the mall. So that offered some comfort.
#2. No crowds. No massive parking lots. No stress. Plain and simple.
#1. I'm the most excited I've ever been to give gifts this year! Since I wasn't wasting precious time this year parking, walking around and getting tired, I felt like I spent more energy thinking about my friends & family and what they might love. It was such a treat buying from indie sellers that it feels like Christmas has already happened!
I got four out of the five. I agree that it's pretty hard to find things for guys that are handmade/locally made. Perhaps that's a market we should try to tap into?! :)
ReplyDeleteKrista-
ReplyDeleteI know...there is definitely an opportunity there. I'm so glad you participated in the holiday challenge!