--- description: Avoid using credit cards for this year's holiday shopping title: 5 Scientifically Proven Tips for Easy Holiday Shopping image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9938817a0f2362e8/69876ffe2dce0146f59dc941/christmas-shopping-bags.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 5 Easy, Scientifically Proven Tips to Make Your Holiday Shopping Easier by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 24, 2014 5:01 AM CUT  USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Couple with Christmas shopping USA, New Jersey, Jersey City, Couple with Christmas shoppingGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Dec 24, 2014 5:01 AM CUT 1) Want to pick a creative gift that the receiver will be surprised by? [Don’t do it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-best-way-to-pick-a-gift-for-someone "undefined"). Studies show people are much more satisfied by presents they said they wanted. 2) Accept that context can warp your thinking. The [music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-the-music-playing-at-a-flower-shop-affect "undefined") in a store, a “[SALE](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-seeing-the-word-sale-make-you-less-likel "undefined")” sign, and [how many items are on a shelf](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-stores-trick-you-into-buying-more-by-stock "undefined") can all affect what and how much you buy. 3) To control your spending, hide the credit card and make sure your wallet contains only [big denomination bills](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-there-any-tricks-to-help-you-spend-less-m "undefined"). People are less tempted to break big bills than to spend small ones. 4) How can you resist a seductive sales pitch? [Think about money](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-trick-can-you-use-to-resist-a-convincing "undefined"). 5) Want to increase the chance people will like the gifts you bought? [Wrap them](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/special-holiday-post-how-can-you-increase-the "undefined"). If you’re curious about why we buy then I suggest you read the aptly titled: [Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416595244?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416595244 "undefined"). **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2011/11/5-easy-scientifically-proven-tips-to-make-you/ "undefined")**_. Join over 145,000 readers and get a free weekly update via email_** [**_here_**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**_._** Related posts: * [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") * [6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/06/most-productive-people/ "undefined") * [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3641071/easy-holiday-shopping-tips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3641071/easy-holiday-shopping-tips/"},"headline":"5 Easy, Scientifically Proven Tips to Make Your Holiday Shopping Easier","datePublished":"2014-12-24T05:01:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:06:04.392Z","description":"Avoid using credit cards for this year's holiday shopping","url":"https://time.com/3641071/easy-holiday-shopping-tips/","keywords":["Psychology","Holidays","holiday shopping"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9938817a0f2362e8/69876ffe2dce0146f59dc941/christmas-shopping-bags.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9938817a0f2362e8/69876ffe2dce0146f59dc941/christmas-shopping-bags.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"christmas-shopping-bags","caption":"christmas-shopping-bags","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3641071/easy-holiday-shopping-tips/","name":"5 Easy, Scientifically Proven Tips to Make Your Holiday Shopping Easier"}}]}] ```