Stop reading this right now if you have no plans to enter a store over the next week or two.

You've embraced the simpler life. You've shopped till you dropped. Or just want to stay home for the rest of the holidays.

But if you are likely to head for the shops or malls, we've got some advice from consumer and retail experts about surviving.

First, do you really have to go shopping tomorrow — the fabled day-after-Christmas sales? If aerobic shopping, early bird specials and big crowds make you tingle with anticipation, dive in.

But if you don't want that over-the-top experience, experts suggest you wait a day or two or go later in the day when it's apt to be less stressful. You can still find some deals and swap things that weren't quite right.

If you have gifts to return or exchange, some stores have a limit on how long they'll accept returns. If you have a gift receipt, you're better off, because the rules are clearer, sometimes even spelled out on the receipt.

Carol Pregill, president of the Retail Merchants of Hawai'i, said returning items as soon as possible is a good idea. Although, after years in retail, Pregill confesses that she avoids shopping at the busiest times.

If you don't have a gift receipt, you might not be able to return something that lacks clear store information. And you may have a gift that was purchased months ago and can't be returned.

"When you receive a gift, you don't necessarily know the history," Pregill said. (See box at right for more specific tips.)

She notes the National Retail Federation's 2008 Holiday Returns Survey found about half the retailers recently polled say they have more lenient return policies during this holiday season.

The survey, conducted by BIGresearch, said more givers attached gift receipts with packages — nearly 60 percent. "As retailers grapple with a struggling economy, providing great customer service remains a top priority," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin.

The survey also found most gift recipients — two-thirds — didn't return anything last year.

If you think you were further behind on holiday readiness, relax, the calendar actually worked against all of us with five fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Looking ahead to less rushing for the holidays next year? Pregill said she prefers to keep a constant eye out for gifts for friends and family. "Personally, I shop all year and stick things on the shelf in my linen closet."

And she's become a big fan of gifts that can be consumed including candles, champagne, special soaps or food treats.

"Let's get something we can use up," she said.

And her practical shopper side reminds those who receive gift cards to use them up sooner rather than later.

Some surveys say that up to 40 percent of gift cards go unused because people forget or misplace them. Pregill says: "Don't save them. If you're going to save anything, save money!"

Now, that's advice we could all use at the end of this year.

Many happy returns