Tips for Stress Free Shopping

When I first starting going to different craft shows and farmer's markets, I would get stressed out and wished I would have stayed home.  However, I am glad I didn't stay home, because there are talented vendors out there whose products are worth seeing.  Here are some tips for stress free shopping.

Going to St. Albert's Farmers Market with Kaisha
aka. fabulous_gal_bykaisha

1.  Directions: If you are unfamiliar with where the event is being held, make sure you take a few minutes to study where it's located and the surroundings.  When I drove to the Butterdome, I was very unsure where to go.  There were signs, but I didn't realize that parking would be 10 minutes away from the event, and I have to walk across the campus.  Since hindsight is 20/20, it would have been a good idea to look at a map of the campus to find where the Butterdome was located and what buildings were around it. I also was afraid I wouldn't find my car again because of how far away I was parked.  For the next Butterdome event, I took the train which took care of parking and it was far less stressful.

2. BYOB - Bring your own bag: A lot of vendors do have plastic bags they can give you, but I prefer to bring my own bag.  We all know bringing our own bag is better for the environment, but it's also better for your sanity.  If you are Christmas shopping, for instance, it's better to have five items in one bag then having one item in five bags.  Much easier to carry and remember to buy the heavy items last.

3. Refreshments - This is important if you have allergies and intolerances like I do.  Usually, there are food trucks at craft shows and farmer's markets.  At one show, the food trucks just had pork items for sale.  Being allergic to pork, I had to wait until I was done at the market to eat and was starving.  At the next market, I packed a bottle of water and a snack in case there was a lack of food choices. Water is very important, especially if the event is outside in the heat.

4. Money - Nowadays, most vendors have access to debit/credit machines or have POS software for their cell phones with a portable card reader attachment.  There are still a lot of vendors that only take cash, so it's a good idea to bring a good amount for them.  Having your credit as a back up is a good idea for those vendors that do take credit.



I hope my tips will help your shopping trips to be fun and productive.  Please like and share to spread the love.