Opening Chat

Hello brothers and sisters, I'm your lifestyle tips sharing officer. While scrolling through my social media feed recently, I noticed many friends worrying about going home for Chinese New Year, especially regarding New Year shopping. As a post-95s generation who has been independently shopping for New Year goods for several years, I deeply understand this anxiety. I remember my first time preparing New Year goods - what a mess it was, I almost wanted to bring the entire supermarket home. Now several years have passed, and I've become a "shopping expert." Today I'd like to share my experiences and insights with you.

Shopping List

Shopping for Chinese New Year goods is both simple and complex. Simple because online shopping is so convenient now - you can buy anything you want with just a few clicks; complex because there are so many factors to consider. I remember my first year preparing New Year goods, I spent three days making the list, revised it five times, and still felt it wasn't complete enough.

After years of experience, I've found that New Year goods can be well-categorized. First are gifts for parents, which is the top priority; then gifts for relatives, which requires strategy; finally, items for yourself, because you should enjoy the New Year too. Each category has its characteristics and considerations, which we'll discuss one by one.

Parents' Section

To be honest, preparing New Year gifts for parents always makes me particularly conflicted. They say things like "don't buy anything" and "don't waste money," but if you really go home empty-handed, not only will you feel guilty, but they'll be disappointed too. After observing for several years, I've found that parents care more about the thought behind the gift than its value.

Take my parents for example. My mom loves tea but usually won't buy good tea for herself, drinking only ordinary tea leaves. Last year, I specifically consulted a tea expert and spent nearly 800 yuan on a can of premium Dragon Well tea. For someone as frugal as me, this was an astronomical price, considering I usually calculate carefully even when buying clothes. But guess what? The expression on my mom's face when she received this gift is something I'll never forget. Her eyes were sparkling like a child who had received their favorite toy. What touched me even more was that every time she brews this tea, she brags to visiting neighbors that it's from her daughter. That proud look makes my heart warm.

As for my dad, he's an old smoker but very concerned about face, usually smoking ordinary cigarettes. One year I bought him two cartons of soft Zhonghua cigarettes, and he was overjoyed. Although he later became reluctant to smoke them, only taking them out when guests came to show off, every time he brags about these cigarettes, that proud look is just incredible.

So, when buying New Year gifts for parents, you need to capture their interests. For example, my mom loves tea, so I buy tea; my dad loves smoking, so I buy cigarettes. But note that you shouldn't just buy things they usually can't afford, you should also buy practical items.

Like my mom often complains about back pain, so I bought her a massager. Though it's not a famous brand, it's very practical. My dad often forgets to drink water, so I bought him a smart thermos that reminds him to drink water on time. These seemingly insignificant items can make their lives more comfortable.

Also, regarding health products, you must be cautious. I know many people like to buy health products for their parents, thinking it shows filial piety. But I suggest everyone must understand their parents' health conditions and not buy blindly. For example, my mom has mild hypertension, so I specifically research which health products are suitable for her and which aren't. And you must buy products from regular channels, don't buy questionable items just to save money.

Relatives' Section

Preparing gifts for relatives is really a technical skill, and it's easy to make mistakes if you're not careful. I remember one year, I saw online that imported snacks were popular, so I bought a bunch to take home. But those snacks basically remained untouched at relatives' homes. Later I found out it was because all the packaging was in English, and everyone didn't recognize it and didn't dare to eat it. That experience taught me that when giving gifts, you can't just consider what you think is good, you also need to consider the recipient's acceptance level.

Since then, I've developed a principle: gifts for relatives must be down-to-earth. What does down-to-earth mean? It means choosing brands that everyone is familiar with, packaging must be in Chinese, preferably well-established brands or brands that everyone recognizes. For example, when giving gifts to elders, things like Tong Ren Tang's health tea or Pang Da Hai are very appropriate; for younger relatives, traditional snacks like White Rabbit candy and Want Want rice crackers are very popular.

Another important point is to pay attention to the gift's grade. Gift-giving is about proportion - giving something too expensive shows you're wasteful, giving something too cheap shows you're stingy. My experience is that for close relatives like uncles and aunts, you can prepare gifts worth 200-300 yuan; for more distant relatives, gifts worth 100-200 yuan are appropriate.

Also, gift-giving must consider the occasion. For example, if you're visiting relatives for New Year greetings, bringing fruits and snacks is very appropriate; if you're attending important occasions at relatives' homes, like a baby's full-month celebration or an elder's birthday, then you need to prepare more substantial gifts.

Money-Saving Tips

After talking about what to buy, let's talk about how to save money. As a young person who hasn't worked for many years, with a not-so-high salary, but wanting to prepare decent New Year goods, you must have some money-saving tricks.

The first technique is to prepare early. I usually start paying attention to New Year goods from November. First, I save all the items I want to buy on various e-commerce platforms, then purchase them together during major promotions like Double 11 and Double 12. I did this last year, and this trick alone helped me save at least 30% on expenses. Another advantage of buying early is avoiding the logistics peak period before Spring Festival, so you don't have to worry about items not being delivered.

The second technique is to make good use of various coupons and cashback platforms. Now all major e-commerce platforms have their own coupon systems, and if you can patiently study the rules, you can often find many ways to save money. For example, some platforms will issue super red packets at specific times, some platforms will have discount activities, some platforms will have cross-store discounts. When you stack these discounts together, the money saved is quite substantial.

There's also paying attention to money-saving apps. Many cashback platforms now provide various discount information, and some platforms also have additional cashback. I often use these platforms to buy things, and although the cashback amount isn't much each time, it adds up, and over a year, you can save quite a bit of money.

The third technique is to compare prices. The same item might have very different prices on different platforms. I usually check prices on mainstream e-commerce platforms before deciding where to buy. But note that you shouldn't go to unreliable small platforms just to save one or two yuan - safety and quality are most important.

The fourth technique is learning to bundle purchases. Many stores have minimum purchase discounts, and if your shopping amount is just a bit short of meeting the discount conditions, you can look for some daily necessities to buy together. This way you can enjoy the discount, and the items bought won't go to waste.

Time Planning

The most important thing about shopping for New Year goods is time planning. If time planning isn't good, two situations can easily occur: one is being in a mess and not getting the items you want to buy; the other is stockpiling too much, resulting in many items expiring.

I suggest everyone can arrange according to this timeline:

Start shopping for items with longer shelf life at the beginning of the last lunar month, like snacks and dried goods. This is also when major e-commerce platforms start their New Year shopping festivals, with bigger discounts. And buying early can avoid the logistics peak period before Spring Festival.

By mid-last lunar month, start shopping for food items with shorter shelf life. For example, some pastries and specialties - buying too early risks expiration, buying too late risks not getting them in time. This time is just right.

Finally, after the twentieth of the last lunar month, purchase fresh fruits and other fresh items. Fruits are best bought locally, as they're both fresh and cheap. Also, many supermarkets have special offers before New Year, you can take this opportunity to buy more.

During shopping, pay special attention to checking expiration dates. Some merchants might try to clear stock during New Year shopping festivals, selling items close to expiration at very low prices. Don't buy such items, as they might expire before New Year.

Stockpiling Advice

Speaking of stockpiling, I really need to remind everyone to be rational. I have many negative examples around me. Remember last year, a friend saw promotions and stockpiled frantically, resulting in many items expiring and being thrown away. This wastes both money and is not environmentally friendly.

My suggestion is to make a detailed budget and usage plan before shopping. Consider several questions clearly: How many guests will come during New Year? How many snacks need to be prepared each day? How much storage space is available at home? All these need to be calculated in advance.

For example with snacks, don't buy too many varieties at once, but buy some that everyone likes to eat. My home's annual must-haves are sunflower seeds, peanuts, and candies. For fruits too, buy according to family preferences and storage conditions. Buy more of things like apples and oranges that keep well, and buy moderately of things like bananas and strawberries that spoil easily.

Also pay attention to storage conditions. Some foods need refrigeration, some need to avoid light, some need ventilation and dryness. If storage conditions aren't proper, even good items will spoil. So before buying, make sure you have suitable storage conditions at home.

Experience Summary

After these years of exploration, I've summarized a golden rule for shopping New Year goods: practicality first, face second, price third.

Practicality first means considering whether the recipient will actually use the item when buying things. For example, when buying health products for elderly people, consider whether they need them and whether they're suitable; when buying snacks for children, consider whether they'll like them and whether they're healthy.

Face second means gifts should be decent but don't overly pursue brands and packaging. Often, an ordinary but practical gift is more welcome than a flashy but impractical one.

Price third means within budget allowance, try to buy things with good value for money. Don't buy poor quality items to save money, and don't exceed budget for face.

Another particularly important point is to remember to prepare some New Year goods for yourself. New Year isn't just about making family happy, you should be happy too. You can buy some snacks you usually want but can't afford, or some new clothes, cosmetics, letting yourself feel the joy of New Year too.

Concluding Thoughts

Writing to this point, I suddenly remember something my grandmother often said: New Year isn't about how much money you spend, but about the thoughtfulness in the process. Indeed, shopping for New Year goods seems like a very worldly thing, but actually it carries our love and care for family.

Every time I see parents' happy expressions when receiving gifts, see relatives sitting together eating snacks I brought while chatting, I feel it's worth all the effort. Because this is the New Year atmosphere, this is the feeling of coming home.

Finally, I hope everyone can find their suitable way of shopping for New Year goods, making going home for New Year a relaxed and happy thing. After all, the most important thing about New Year isn't how much money you spent or how many things you bought, but that the whole family can be happy together.