Gonicofish.com Announces Tips: Seven Things to Do Now to Prepare for Holidays

Detroit, Michigan. September 7, 2007. Gonicofish.com announced today seven tips to help consumers prepare for the holidays. While it may still feel like summer, now is the time to plan and work towards happy celebrations. Be it Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza, a little forethought will help the festivities go smoothly when the day arrives.

Helping consumers save both time and money is a passion for Gina Bassman, Founder and CEO of NicoFish Enterprises, LLC.

“I love working with Fortune 500 companies and quality boutiques to bring consumers savings on line,” Bassman says.

A former financial executive, Bassman left the corporate world in order to spend more flexible time with her family. Viewing life from the point of view of a consumer inspired her to start her own innovative online shopping web site, Gonicofish.com.

While spending the summer with her son, Nicholas, she frequently logged on to the Internet to evaluate prices and make purchases. Bassman visited many sites that claimed to offer coupon codes and discounts. She often got lost in unorganized lists of deals, and she realized that online consumers needed a more workable option.

To that end, Bassman taught herself web design and construction. She created her own easy-to-navigate site called Gonicofish.com. Her user-friendly layout enables her to quickly connect shoppers with the web’s latest and best bargains and coupons.

Visitors to Bassman’s site can browse by store, by specific item, or by selecting one of twenty-four product categories. Shoppers can find everything from apparel to garden supplies to baby goods to computers and electronics. Among the 1,000 retailers who are partnered with her include Auto Anything, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Land’s End, PetSmart, Macy’s and Target.

When it comes to preparing for the holidays, Gonicofish.com offers these seven suggestions:

1) Starting in September, clean and de-clutter your home. Break the process down into small tasks, and do one or two a day. Winterize your house and garden. Polish silver and other items needed for holiday parties. If you begin now and work bit by bit, you will be prepared for holiday entertaining. You will also create a cozy haven where your busy family can relax.
2) Determine an overall budget for the holidays. Divide it into categories — such as gifts, wrapping materials, cards, holiday meals, holiday travel, and decorating. Most of the budget will be spent for December holidays, but don't forget Halloween and Thanksgiving, as well. Once you have decided how much you can and want to spend for December gifts, jot down the name of everyone to whom you want to give a present. Beside each person’s name, pencil in how much you will spend for that person, plus three gift ideas.
3) Check central shopping sites, like Gonicofish.com, for gift ideas. Also, look for sales, coupon codes, and other discounts. If you see something that is within your budget and is the perfect gift for someone, snap it up. Spread out your holiday purchases over the next three months. Your shopping will be done in time to relax and enjoy December fun.
4) Be mindful of children on your holiday shopping list. Each year presents certain hot toys that are in short supply. If you are thinking of purchasing something like this — be it a cuddly toy for a tot or a game system for a teen — buy before merchants’ supplies are low or non-existent and prices skyrocket.
5) If you have children, and you know that they will receive many holiday gifts, now is a good time to weed out toys, clothes, and books that they no longer use. Remove these things in order to make room for new. Also, include your child in the spirit of giving. Let your child help you give old toys to children who need them. Or, let the child help you purchase a new toy for a charity drive.
6) Inventory holiday supplies and fill in the gaps. Do you have enough wrapping paper? Tape? Ribbon? Outdoor lights? Paper goods for parties? Cards? Stamps for cards? Ingredients for holiday meals and treats?
7) Update your holiday card list. If you intend to have photo cards made, take your family picture sometime in September or October. In October, rent a holiday movie to help you get into the mood, and watch it while you address holiday cards and envelopes.

Holidays should be about family and fun, not about stress and broken budgets. Planning now and carrying out your plans bit by bit throughout the fall will enable you to better enjoy the festivities.

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