5 Ways to Balance Freelancing and Holiday Shopping

credit: WTL photos on flickr

The holiday season is one of the best times to be a freelancer. Setting your own hours means steering clear of the malls come 5PM – the time when stores become filling with tired cube-dwellers anxious to shrink down their to-do list.

But on the flip side, stepping out to shop during the day can snag your productivity. Just how to balance the two?

1. Be the early bird: Stores open early pre-season. Parking is ample and crowds are thin in the morning. Make a specific list in advance, get there when doors open, and be at your computer by 10:00.
2. Mail order: Normally, freelancers should avoid one more reason to surf the web, but this time of year it can be big timesaver. Keep it controlled: set time limits or surf only during your (timed!) lunch or coffee break
3. Swap your workday:  If holiday shopping means leisurely afternoons at the mall, make a swap: indulge in a quiet, midweek day shopping day in exchange for working a day on the weekend.
4. Stay in town: Forgo the malls or big box stores. Smaller stores in your own town can yield a fresh gift idea and be a rejuvenating break to your workday. Dash out midday, pick out a gift, be back to work with enough time left to read your favorite blog.
5. Use your network:  Most freelancers know people all over, so why not propose an errand swap? You pick up few boxes of salt-water taffy near your Oceanside abode, your friend stocks up on the famous southern barbeque sauce you’ve head about.  Swap by mail, and you’ve got unique gifts to give.

Don’t let the stress of shopping and errands impose upon your workday.  Use your freelancing lifestyle to knock off errands at more convenient times with minimal interference to your working time.  Then, sit back and enjoy the season!

Photo credit: WTL photos on flickr