When I hear the words “Christmas” and “shopping” in the same sentence, my anxiety tends to skyrocket from 0 to 100. I get worried very easily, and the first thoughts that come to mind are “I have so many people to buy gifts for,” “when am I going to find the time to go” and “How much is this going to cost me?”

In past years, I have always had someone to go shopping with at a set time, and I always had money saved. I hadn’t spent a lot in the past, but that’s because I had fewer people to shop for.

This year when December rolled around, I was finishing up my first college semester. Preparation for finals and performances left me little time to think about Christmas shopping, which made me more anxious. Not only did I have family, but I had new friends, old friends, and former teachers I wanted to get presents for. Once I was able to calm down and focus, I was able to make a plan and get everything done right on time before break. Here are some tips that I used to shop successfully as a college student:

Make a list.

Writing things down is always my go-to. Before going shopping, I made a list of people to buy for, and ideas of what to get them next to their names. During my shopping trip, I wrote down the things I bought next to the names of the people I bought them for as a system to make sure I got something for everyone, and to make the wrapping process easier on me. I’ve found that having an organized list makes things more efficient.

Pencil it in.

Between classes, completing final assignments, and studying, pretty much every minute of every day was accounted for before and during finals week. I knew that I had to get shopping done, so I took a deep breath, and focused on the weekends when I had less to do. I chose an empty Saturday night to go to the Target near campus and get everything I need. Having a plan made everything less stressful.

Know your budget and stick to it.

I ended up spending more than I anticipated this year, but I knew that I did pretty well compared to most shoppers, and I had a tiny bit of wiggle room financially. As college students, it is important to know how much we can spend since we don’t have a lot to spare. With the right approach, you can spare just enough to make it work and make everyone you love smile this holiday season with every thoughtful and affordable gift whether or not it is big or small.

Make sure you have all the supplies you need.

I knew that I didn’t have wrapping paper, tape, scissors, bows, or gift tags. I wanted to wrap and label all of the presents before it was time to leave for break, so I made sure that I picked up all the necessities once I finished getting all of the gifts. The essentials are important in completing this task

Find an efficient way to carry your wrapped presents.

This is something I hadn’t thought about. I had tons of gifts to bring home with me. In addition to the suitcase and backpack I packed, I had an additional duffel bag and three big red shopping bags full of gifts. It would have been better if I had thought about buying a Santa sack or a huge bag that would’ve fit all of the presents in it.

I am so happy that I was able to complete what felt like Mission Impossible. I never truly realized everything I would need to figure out on my own, especially when it comes to Christmas shopping. I stayed up until 5:00 AM one night wrapping all of the gifts I bought during finals week. Crazy? Of course. Worth it? Definitely. I was able to go Christmas shopping and wrap gifts all while finishing my first semester of college. With these tips, I know you will be successful, too, and hopefully this is true for many college students for many winter semesters to come.