Shopping doesn’t have to be the worst thing in the world though, and with some of our helpful tips, you can get it done quickly and efficiently.

Write a list - Before you set foot outside the door you must have a list or everything is about to get messy. There is little hope of remembering what everyone wants without some help. So, before you go out plan the list down to every little thing. Don’t think you’ll remember stuff as once in the shops there is little chance of remembering everything.

Stick to the budget - This is so important as everyone has a basic budget and depending on your income you may be able to stretch it or not. The best advice is to not put yourself in debt for the Christmas season no matter how tempting that is. Plan and stick to the budget and you will be grateful come January.

Ask someone to mind the kids - There is no point in trying to shop with the kids as they will see the gifts and they will not behave long enough for you to get everything. Do yourself a favour and get someone to mind them. If you don’t have family close by, you could either go late night shopping and get a babysitter or ask a friend that has kids too to mind the kids. In return, you could offer to take your friends' kids when they go shopping.

Shop local - It is important that we shop locally in our towns to keep local businesses in business, but it isn’t always possible depending on where you live. However, try as much as you can and enjoy the local community spirit as that is what Christmas is all about.

Use online shops - Again, sometimes you will need to do online shopping and that is fine as you won’t have to queue either! Just consider balancing your purchases between online and local as this does help.

Stick to the shopping plan and don’t get side-tracked- Don’t get into offers and specials no matter how good they may be unless someone asked for one there is little chance of them loving it. Stick to the list and be careful about overspending.

Have a food rest – Good food is vital when shopping so rest and have a nice coffee, a sandwich and possibly a cake too!

Make sure you have a place to hide gifts - Before you go shopping plan for the gifts and put aside space so you can easily hide things once you get home. This is important as you can’t leave stuff in the car forever.

Pat yourself on the back - If you are back from the shops and have all the items on the list you have done a great job! Well done.

Plan for Christmas Day - Now, it is the time to plan for Christmas with the right wrapping paper, cards and gift tags so ensure you have everything. Don’t forget the sticky tape and enjoy the rest of Christmas.