How to Christmas Shop in ONE Day on a College Budget!

Shop the Look:

I can’t believe Christmas is literally less than a week away! Eeek! I am sooo excited! Okay, so when you’re in college, it can be super hard to Christmas shop especially if you live states away like me. For the past two weeks, I have been going crazy over finals and yesterday morning while I was relaxing at home it hit me that I still had to shop for Christmas gifts! So, I made a plan to do it all in one day. Yup, that’s right, I shopped for all my friends and family in ONE DAY! Do you want to know how I did it? Keep reading below!

Okay, so in college, my income isn’t very abundant (or consistent at that) and I had to do some saving up from working on campus! The first thing I did was create a realistic budget for myself. Of course, there were lots of gifts I had in mind for my friends and family that I really wanted to get them but the reality was that it just wasn’t financially feasible (or responsible).

I wanted all my gifts to be meaningful and fitting so I literally sat and thought about things they would actually use and cherish! For some, it was as simple as fuzzy socks and a mug while for others, it was skincare sets and their favorite makeup product! Once I had an idea of what I wanted to give, I went straight to discount stores first. (Ain’t nobody got time for full price.)

My first stop was Nordstrom Rack. GIRL! Why in the world does Nordstrom exist if there is a Nordstrom Rack!!! Jk. Literally, love them both. Nevertheless, stores like Nordstrom Rack, J.Crew Factory, TJ Maxx and even Homegoods were all perfect places for me to find the best fitting gift for my loved ones. (Scroll down to see all the store I bought gifts from.)Not to mention, my gifts are definitely going to be so cute! Cute gifts on a budget are definitely a real thing y’all. I would recommend actually going to these places in person rather than shopping online because the selection in store is going to be very different.

Less is more when finding the perfect gift! Try not to go overboard by getting them something that you see everybody else buying. Really think about who you are shopping for. What would they actually use? Is that even their favorite color? Get them something that matches their lifestyle!

When I thought I couldn’t find anything else in stores, I headed STRAIGHT home to my laptop to finish up! I have Amazon Prime so I spent most of my time there so I could get that 2-day shipping. Before I knew it, I was already done shopping! I am so excited to start wrapping! Check out my Insta story this week with super cute wrapping ideas for your gifts! So if your thinking about doing a one day Christmas shopping day like me, remember these key things budget, shop with thought, find the meaning, LEAVE THE STORE! Here is the list of the stores I shopped at this Christmas:

Nordstrom Rack

TJ Maxx

Homegoods

J. Crew Factory

Lilly Pulitzer

Barnes and Noble

Francesca’s

Anthropologie

Amazon

Kohls

If you are looking to give with meaning this year, check out Barnes and Noble’s Holiday Book Drive! I donated two books to a charity that will provide books to a children’s home! You can check it out here!

Today on the blog I am sharing Isaiah 40:31 because something in my heart is telling me someone needs to read this. It states,

…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.