10 Reasons For Craft Shoppers to Shop Early in 2020

Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? Cricut machines and consumables make great Christmas gifts, or maybe you need some Cricut products for gifts you plan to make. Unfortunately, they may be harder to come by this year due to the current pandemic. Not only are manufacturers struggling to keep up with demand, but shipping carriers are also facing challenges with their deliveries. I officially started my shopping a couple weeks ago and intend to finish a lot earlier than usual. You may want to do the same. Here are 10 reasons for you to consider.

 

Out of Stock

It can be very frustrating to go to order something, find exactly what you need, and then discover it is out of stock. This often means you cannot get it when you need it. When you are shopping for Christmas, this can cause a real problem, especially if you need a Cricut machine or product to complete a homemade gift. There is no guarantee that you will be able to find it somewhere else.

 

Receipt in Time - Shipping Carriers Overloaded / Shipping Deadlines Earlier

In this situation, you find what you need and order it, but then shipping is delayed by the sheer volume of orders being placed. Sometimes the carriers cannot keep up with all of them, and you are left to wait it out. When this happens, you probably won't want to order the item again because you would end up with duplicates and spend twice the amount of money. But, at the same time, if it's an item needed for a craft you are making, you're kind of stuck. I don't think anyone wants to be put in that position.

 

Availability of What You Want

With so many people shopping for Christmas, things tend to go fast, especially the most popular items, such as frequently used Cricut consumables. Add to that the decreased number of products available from manufacturers, and it's easy to see why you might miss out on buying that perfect gift. If you wait too long, you may not be able to get your hands on it at all. That has been somewhat of a problem in the past, but the current pandemic only intensifies the situation.

 

Cheaper Prices Earlier in the Season

 

I don't know about you, but for the last several years, I have ordered as many of my Christmas gifts online as I can. There just isn't enough time to do all that shopping in person, and it is currently not advisable. I'm not even waiting for Black Friday and Cyber Monday this year. I'm willing to pay a little more to get my gifts on time. Many stores offer the lowest prices of the season before the Christmas rush to encourage shoppers to start right away. Taking advantage of this may offset the higher prices we would pay by not waiting for Black Friday. I have even seen some retailers offering Black Friday deals now, so why wait?

 

Best Selection

You know how shopping for a sale item can be more successful if you take advantage of it in the first couple of days? That is the best time to find the correct size, color, brand or whatever specifics you are looking for. This Christmas season, I'm going to shop even earlier to ensure I can find exactly what my loved ones want. Since I'm making some handmade gifts this year, I went ahead and bought my supplies early so I would have time to complete them.

 

Peace of Mind You Found What You Wanted

 

 My family members always give me Christmas gift ideas every year...at my request. I have too many children and grandchildren to just go out and try to find something they each might like. This means they pretty much know what they are getting, but they don't seem to mind. Being able to find all the things on their lists makes me happy.....and them, too. It also means I can concentrate my mental energies on other tasks that need to be done. That definitely gives me peace of mind.

 

Less Stress

Christmas shopping can be stressful for so many reasons. Maybe you have less money to spend, so you have to get the best deals you can. Perhaps you have really popular items on your list that are hard to find. You may have a limited amount of time to shop and are worried about running out of time. Or you have craft projects to do and need to get the necessary supplies. The earlier you shop, the better chance you have of avoiding some of those issues and the added stress they bring.

 

Shop From Home

Since I started shopping mainly online for Christmas gifts several years ago, I am hooked! It takes so much less time, and I can do it from my recliner. What could be better? I don't have to travel anywhere, I can easily look at the different options for a particular product, and comparison shopping is a breeze. I can get the best deal without having to walk through a store looking for an item or trying to find a sales person. It's a win win!

 

Avoid Crowds

 

Some of you may not mind it, but I do not like going to stores when they are full of shoppers, especially now. That's why I never go shopping in stores on Black Friday. Sometimes you have to wait to get into an aisle to get something, and it can be like going through a maze to find what you need. Then there are the long checkout lines. Then if one store is sold out of something, you have to continue to look at other stores. Not to mention the risk of getting trampled to death. No, thanks. I'll pass.

 

Peace of Mind That it is Done

I often dream of a Christmas season without all the panic of trying to get everything done on time. I haven't been able to accomplish that yet. Then there are those people who have all their shopping and wrapping done way before Christmas, and I always wonder how they do it. Well, maybe it's time for me to become one of those, and  you could, too. Imagine finding everything you want and having it all ahead of time, with plenty of time to wrap. Then you could enjoy the season as Christmas draws closer, and more time can be spent with loved ones (or doing other projects like baking or crafting). Sign me up!

 

Are you motivated to start your Christmas shopping immediately? I hope so. Of course, there are probably some of you who can say you are already done. I am totally jealous, if that's the case. I wish I had started in October or even earlier. I can only start from here and keep trying to improve each year. What about you?