10 Ways to Keep Presents a Surprise

When it comes to giving, the surprise is half the fun. Watching the kids tear into their presents is that much better when they do not know what is inside the box, and even the adults love the thrill of opening an unknown present.

Unfortunately, keeping those purchases under wraps is no easy task. The kids may know that Santa Claus brings the presents, but they are experts at finding Santa's hiding places. Even your spouse may figure out what they are getting, thanks to things like email notifications and carelessly handled receipts.

If you want the Christmas morning experience to be a surprise, you need to take a proactive approach. You do not have to be sneaky, but a little caution is definitely warranted. Here are 10 ways to keep those holiday purchases away from prying eyes.

1. Deliver the goods to the office. It is hard to hide presents that are sitting on the porch, so have your packages delivered to the office instead.

2. Turn off push notifications. An ill-timed pop-up could blow the surprise, so turn off the push notifications on your smartphone until the holiday season is over.

3. Make arrangements with the neighbors. If your neighbors have kids too, why not offer to hold their gifts while they hold yours? Just find a good hiding place in your home and let the neighbors hide your own holiday goodies. Then you can do the switch on Christmas Eve.

4. Set a place for your receipts. Even if they cannot find the presents, your kids could find the receipts. Put those incriminating purchase notifications in a safe place until all the presents have been opened.

5. Take advantage of free layaway. If the store where you are shopping offers free layaway, take advantage of the service. You will still need to find a hiding place eventually, but having the store safeguard your purchases will make your job easier.

6. Get your credit card statements online. Your cover could be blown when the credit card bill arrives, so turn on online statements for the duration of the holiday season.

7. Use an alternate email for online shopping. If you share an email address with your spouse or kids, use an alternate ID for your online shopping. It can be your work email, a secondary account or even a brand new account.

8. Close your browser when you are done shopping. An open online shopping page could give you away, so close your browser and clear the cache after the transaction is complete.

9. Shop at lunchtime. If you do not want to be found out, think about doing your holiday shopping on your lunch hour. You can keep your purchases under wraps and have more time with your family.  

10. Hide those shopping bags. They may not reveal what you bought, but those shopping bags can tell people where you have been. Throw those shopping bags away as soon as possible, or leave them in the car.

Keeping those holiday purchases a secret is no easy task. There are lots of ways to snoop these days, from digging through the closets to sorting through the email. If you want to maintain the mystery this holiday season, you need to think outside the box and the shopping bag. The 10 tips listed above can help you get started, so you can enjoy a wonderful holiday season.