To go aaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh at the Christmas biscuits in M&S today?

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

I mean it's September. Surely now is too early to buy them? They'd be out of date by then.

AIBU to be grumpy at the sight of them?
Or should I be lured into buying them now and squirreling them away?

The danger of the latter is I would forget where I put them!

100 days to go

I'm with both Mandy Mcfly and lowrib. I LOVE Christmas and I like to spread the cost so bring on the carols, tinsel and mince pies. I even like Christmassy adverts on the telly, espcecially the annual M&S one and the Sainsburys ones.

It is only 3 more paydays so you can see it does make sense even if it annoys some people. I am always sad when its January and it all disappears again. I am 40 by the way, but doubly love Xmas now I'm a Mum.

But why do you have to buy it now to spread the cost? I'm not well off by any means - so I put the money aside until end of November. I refuse to line the pockets of these supermarkets by buying Christmas food now. They are relying on the fact that you will be tempted to eat what you have bought in September so will have to buy again by December.

"If you want to spread the cost why not put the money to one side you intend to spend on the goods." Because I'd rather buy the stuff than have the money lying around - there will only be something else that need to be bought, and I enjoy buying little things when I can much more than I enjoy saving money.

But most importantly, I get most of my Christmas stuff by buying bargains when I see them, as I go along. If I wait until the time you lot would like me too (November? December?) and buy things all at once, then it simply costs more money.

Oh to be so ignorant about what it's like to be skint!

aaarrrrgggghhhh at you for bringing this to the rest of mumsnet's attention.

Can everyone shut the sweet baby Jesus up about Christmas?!

Oh I know what it's like to be skint believe me.:( hence the putting away of a little bit of money each month for Christmas).I still refuse to buy any food (presents I have bought throughout the year)before end of Novemeber.It's sheer greed from the supermarket giants.

'tis the season to be jolly. Mmm, lovely mince pies, might need to get some now. I love this big run up, Halloween, Guy Fawkes, Christmas. If it pisses you off you can just walk past it you know.

I love all this. The christmas tree goes up in november!

YABU

Retailers only do it because the demand is there. Simple as. I adore Christmas, but still think it is too early for all this. But I couldnt give a toss what the retailers do, they give shoppers a choice.

If you want the stuff, buy it, if not, ignore it. Surely it's quite straightforward?

Saw tinsel in Superdrug today, decorating the perfume!

Boots here have their gifts out and on th e3-4 -2 offer.

It's depressing.

I bought some christms biscuits this morning and i'm currently eating a bag of chocolate money..

I've always been a bit grinch like before but i am fully embracing it this year.

Merry Christmas!!

Cards out in M&S - Edinburgh

in my past life as a career woman i worked in the biscuit department at M and S head office. by september we'd been working on the xmas range pretty much since just after last xmas finished. happiest working days of my life - the buzz of the xmas sales figures, plus of course the huge amount of taste testing that had to happen (by a stroke of luck, the biscuit team worked in the same part of the office as confectionery and savoury snacks - biscuits, sweets and crisps on tap). fond memories.

Well, I bloody love mince pies (and am too busy lazy to make my own), so I am normally overjoyed when the Christmas stuff starts filling up the shelves :) I'm another one who starts buying early (only presents though, DH sorts all food), and I'm totally looking forward to the kid's christmas clothes coming out in the shops so I can pick what I am going to buy to make DS look festive stupid :o

It is demand.

Ive lost count of the amount of customers asking for our christmas arts and crafts kits already, they look shocked when I say we wont be getting them till October.

Am so excited at 100 days. If I were on NM I would have a ticker counting down so be grateful I cannot do it here.

I cannot wait. I don't get truly excited until after Dd's birthday in October but I am quite zingy already. Lovely, lovely autumn and lovely Christmas.

lol turningviolet that is my dream job

I buy from when its available if its on offer/cheap. This tends to be earlier rather than later.

Two years ago I was grumpy as I'd paid full whack for a pre ordered turkey and then went into Waitrose for something on the 23rd and the blardy things were half price. The blardy organic Norfolk jobs too. So last year we left it til Christmas Eve and nobody reduced them. Grrr. However, we'll leave it til Christmas Eve again this year as it was quite exciting.

How much are the biccies at M and S then? Do they have those nice Scotty Dog tins in the offer?

Yanbu. And anyone who buys that kind of stuff now is a sucker.

WHY buy it now?

There is no reason and no excuse. The supermarkets are cynically making squillions out of you, you poor deluded fools.

Yes, I am heartily sick of Christmas by the time Christmas comes.

lifeofkate - if you have a food processor making pastry for mince pies is a doddle, and buy the luxury mincemeat. they are so, so, so much better.

I gave the supermarket delivery people one each last year as they managed to get to us in the thick snow at 9pm and had been out without a break since 10am. They hadn't had home made mince pies for years and were in ecstasy. Although they were probably just starving, thinking about it.

grinch off with yourself nameymac, the supermarkets are making squillions out of you people panic buying at the last minute . We are the smug prepared ones with hoards of value Quality Street, sweet sherry and brandy butter in November.

I saw my first Christmas advert on tv a few weeks ago. DH and I were [shocked] because it was still August!

Chocolate oranges are only £1 in Asda at the moment. Bought 8. One was for eating now. Me and DS opened it earlier. It tasted like Christmas :)

(Ooh quite disappointed the festive smileys aren't available yet!!)

Festive spirit by stealth. Maybe that is the way to go.