There is no greater joy than giving the perfect present. Shopping for great gifts, however, can quickly turn even the merriest Christmas giver into a true Grinch! Especially when your target is sold out.

When it comes to giving and receiving, everyone loves a really unique gift. It can be functional, practical or simply fun but it should always be unique. By shopping early and making a list, you should easily find great gifts. If you’d rather wait and lose yourself in the hustle and bustle of the mall, you may find the job a little more demanding.

Putting your shopping off until the last minute does make gift-giving more challenging, but these tips should help you to experience a little more joy of shopping:

Remember Your Shopping List

When you categorize your shopping list in order of coworkers, casual friends and closest loved ones, you can narrow down what types of gifts to look for. By narrowing the task down to specific groups of people, you can determine a general idea of what you need to buy.

Those people who are nearest and dearest to your heart will benefit most from your planning, because you’ll be able to take their personal interests and needs into consideration.