Christmas does anyone start saving now ?

[starohbright]

Or do you buy and pay later?.
I know its very early to be discussing this but times are hard for some familys Im just interested how everyone copes.

I save £40 a month on a continual standing order and that pays for Christmas.

I have started buying now. Already done dc's stockings and a couple of presents.

Me too,i have picked up a few cheap bottles of perfume they were selling off in work & i have £180 on my advantage card in work,i am planning on getting all of ds' presents with that,3 for 2 which is even better!!

I am mostly getting vouchers for everyone this yr, so i am saving £50 a month towards them.

I start buying now, DS's big present may go on credit and be paid over the next 3 months interest free if a good deal arises. And dd will be 1 so we are rewrapping fisher price little people sets from the loft for her

I have made the start. I like it all done by October. Can't bear shopping at Christmas time.

I buy a couple of things a week for a few months, started yesterday with two toy trumpets from ELC. I may live to regret that.

In my financially foolhardy years I used to bung it all on a credit card, makes for a very depressing January.

Christmas? What's that?

I'll probably start buying 2 weeks before (or whenever dp gets paid) then panic because last year I only had one 8month old to buy for and this year i'll have a 4month old, a 19month old and a 9yr old to buy for.

And all boy's if anyone has any idea's...

I only buy for 2 dcs and dh.
Job done.
Do not spend more than £300 in total.

£35 a month goes into the safe from January.

sort off, well i will buy bits and bobs from november - i am doing the electoral canvass this year knowing i get paid it in december and can then fund xmas.

I'm eyeing up things I can get with our Tesco vouchers.

Other than that I try to redeem as many points from cards (Boots advantage, Nectar etc) to use towards presents as I can.

I'll start picking up bits and bobs if I see them now, but am always worried that people will change their minds (about toys, perfumes etc) if I buy too early.

I usually save a set ammount every month, but I'm due Baby number two in November, so I'm planning to have it all bought by then.

Christmas shopping with a newborn - yeuch.

I am currently knitting her a teeny Santa hat to match her brothers.

Yep, saving has begun. I'll start buying things too if/when I see them. We have a LOT of birthdays between now and Christmas and I like to have everything done before DS's birthday at the end of November.

Last year I had everything bought and wrapped by 30th November and I was smug as a very smug thing

I have already bought some presents. Was looking at one of those asda xmas saving cards to help with the xmas dinner shop in the store today. I might leave it though and see if M&S do something similar... or just buy gift cards form them as and when.

Xmas will have to be all ready meals because I will be fit to burst (due begining of Jan) and DH is a shite cook. Bless him.

I start buying now, as all 3 dc's birthdays are in Nov/Dec too

I don't save up for Christmas (I would jinx myself by having money set by and some big repair would need doing and all the money would go on that!) but I started buying a few months ago. I have had to start putting stuff in the attic as I've run out of hiding places.

I put £50 a month away for Christmas. Anything left in the account in January is carried over as extra into the holiday savings.

I have started shopping. DS1&2 have really got into Terry Deary books over the summer and have been borrowing them from the library, so I bought Horrible Histories for DS1 and Roman Tales and Egyptian Tales for DS2.

I started two weeks ago by putting money aside for the dc's presents . I also have 28 people to buy for so have to start early every year .

elmofan 28 Are you serious?

I'm stressing about buying for 4. lol.

Why 28 elmofan?
Can't you come to an agreement?

I start buying in January when the sales are on. Then I start again once the children are back at school and that expense is out of the way. This year my children want a playhouse as a joint present so I only have to buy a few little bits here and there.

I don't put money away but I do pick up things through the year.

I do online surveys for vouchers and then save them up. I also have an M&S credit card which gives reward vouchers so saving them up pays for things like posh puddings and some nice wine for Xmas dinner .

I always intend to start early but DH's work has been erratic so we're playing catch up
May start mid September if funds allow...
Have double load as 4 of our dc/dsc birthdays are in first 6 weeks of the new year.
DS has already hinted that he would like a laptop - he's 13 so part of me thinks maybe but it's not a cheap option.
Usually spend £100 on each of them and £40-£50 on their birthdays.

domesticsluttery sorry I am being thick. What do you mean by extra money?? after christmas?

I don't actually save up for xmas. I buy everything through the year, starting with gift sets in January. Then as we go through the year and i see things that I think people would like, I buy them.
My ds's are still young enough to not notice that santa shops on ebay and in charity shops
Adult friends get jars of my super strong home made pickled onions (and they ASK for them each year!) which cost about 75p a (recycled) jar to do.
Close family etc gets knitted pressies. And yes I have started my xmas knitting. So I suppose thats the same as saving up....