Wednesday Wisdom A Man's Guide to Christmas Shopping

Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy, and it mostly is with the time off work and all the opportunities to go out and get pissed. But, for us men, it can be an arduous time as well with the hassle of having to buy presents and then wrap them, etc!

Present buying requires patience and organisation; two things that are generally non-existent within the male DNA. There's a reason that the stereotype of shops being full of blokes on Christmas Eve doing last minute shopping exists.

We want to break the stereotype and reduce the stress for you over the festive period, so have come up with some ways to ace Christmas shopping!

Get Online

Isn't modern day technology a wonderful thing? It means that Christmas shopping is at our fingertips and can be done without having to brace the busy high street! This is music to the ears of lads up and down the country and is becoming more and more popular.

Websites have potential gifts categorised as well; so if you're struggling for what to buy for a relative or loved one you could find the perfect answer online. So, not only can you do shopping from the comfort of your sofa, you can even have a helping hand in choosing presents.

It may only be 11 days until the big day, but fear not; there is still plenty of time to get your online orders purchased and delivered before Christmas day! Wrapping paper and gift cards can be found online as well'result!

Santa's Little Helper

If you've got a Mrs and you're in the good books for whatever reason, this is a great time of year to cash in on that. They're likely to be still doing some last bits of Christmas shopping this week, so you could always ask them to get presents for you!

If you're even luckier, the Mrs will have already bought all the presents which will be from the both of you. All you have to do is part with some cash and write your name on a few gift cards, it's perfect!

The only thing to remember with this option is that you will still have to buy presents for your loved one. It's a good option, but not quite full-proof!

The Easy Option

As earlier mentioned, one of the biggest dilemmas with Christmas shopping is knowing what to buy! What do you buy your grandparents who are in their 70's? The last thing you want to do is by a crap present, so why not let the gift receiver choose something for themselves?

It seems like the lazy way out of buying a present, but there's nothing wrong with a good old fashioned gift card or cash for younger ones. Gift cards aren't prohibited to high street stores either; they can be bought for restaurants, days out, etc. They can actually be more thoughtful than it first seems.

Of course, it is the easy option, but at least you'll know that the recipient will get something they want rather than a book that gathers dust on a shelf!

Revert to Stereotype

If you want to stick to male Christmas traditions, you still have plenty of time to hit the shops! We know we initially set out to avoid this situation, but it is still a viable option.

Sometimes an aimless wander round the'Christmas gifts' section of a shop can give us an idea for a present, which makes the trip a worthwhile one. Men up and down the country will be doing the same, so there is almost a sense of unity for the last minute Christmas shoppers!

Plus, if you hate wrapping'or just can't wrap'you will find many city centre shops offer gift wrapping which is without doubt worth it. It will save you getting in a sticky sellotape mess in your living room!

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