Expert Holiday Strategies for Less Stress, More Fun

Packed parking lots, long lines, crowded malls, and higher blood pressure – is this what you want? This year, opt for a calmer, kindler, gentler shopping experience. Grab your slippers, a warm cup of apple cider and turn on the computer.

"Go online," says Malani, who monitors online shopping trends and patterns. "Once you get there, you can shop on your own time." Consumers have been conditioned to shop during shopping hours, instead of controlling their shopping lives, she adds.

Today’s more sophisticated web sites, such as Nordstrom.com, allow shoppers to chat live with designer and beauty specialists, or a customer representative, as if you were in the store. Take advantage of a vast array of online shops and see who’s dangling the best price tags. Save yourself time, Malani says, by shopping on all-in-one sites such as shopzilla.com, where you can comparison-shop among top retailers, calculate shipping costs and purchase on the spot.

But if you’re nostalgic for the traditional, holiday shopping scene, Malani suggests surfing the Internet before you head out to avoid visiting a zillion stores. Use the Web as an information source to prepare yourself. "Lock down the price of the item in your budget, then go to the store, to touch it and feel it," she says.

Malani’s best tip? Start now. Don’t cool your heels for Black Friday – the first official start to the holiday shopping season (and most chaotic). Merchants use this day, right after Thanksgiving, to lure you in with good deals. Look around now for early-bird specials.

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