to not understand the argument that it is a good thing to buy Christmas presents 11 months ahead of Christmas onwards because it spreads the cost?

[Mintyy]

I must be spectacularly dense, as I just don't get it .

Please explain to me.

I'm stressing now. Wish I'd started in march tbh.
Sooo may ppl.

I have a problem with it because I have no idea what my children will want that far ahead...for eg. 6 months ago one DD loved Moshy Monsters....now she's all "Nah...bored with them."

If I'd gone out and bought some Moshy stuff, it would be wasted!

YABU and dense.

spreading the cost i.e buying throughout the year means you can save by buying before everything has its Christmas value and you don't have to pay for it all in December.
What is so hard to understand?

It's like saying you think that there are no people who would find it hard to plan an entire year ahead so they could afford to add another £x amount of money onto their monthly budget, purely for presents. You probably don't mean it like that OP, but you did ask! :-D

Are you feeling jealous of some sickenly organised person OP

Mintyy

My apologies, am unwell tonight but no excuse for being nasty to you

I couldn't comment on your being dense or not; but it's really not that difficult to understand?

That's not kind morethan

Mine is 90% done and all wrapped too. Now I can just relax and not be December skint.

What's not to get? You spend a bit each month rather than all in one go the month before Xmas. I usually leave the DC's main bits until nearer Xmas, but I know which adults I need to get for, and friend's kids so I try to get for them earlier on in the year.

Plus it means you can shop a bit more cannily. I also track things I know the DC will definitely want on camel camel to get the best price.

I have quite a few people that I have a £5 budget for. I like to try and buy things that are better value for that £5, e.g. I got torches reduced from £15 to £3.75 in Tesco for my Uncles and cousins and my secret Santa at work. They are brilliant torches. If I'd left it until nearer Xmas I'd have ended up panic buying something shit or spending over my budget to get something that looks less shit.

Sorry x post

I think it depends how many you have to buy for. We only have MIL, DM, DSF, two DC and each other and the cats. We don't send stuff to DH's sisters who live abroad.

But I do start buying bits for dd's stocking in the post Xmas sales (DS just has £30 instead now on request). I also buy things like crackers, decs, napkins, Christmassy runners, candles and cards for the dc to send in the post Xmas sales. Why spend more than you have to on tat.

And from now I will start speading it out a bit and will buy a big tin of sweets, big bottle of Sherry, small Brandy, Pud, Cake, anything that will keep providing it's on special offer and that way I buy a little something treaty every couple of weeks and it means the mega, mega shop is avoided in December and I can just get away with getting to Sainsburys at 6.55 once in the two days before hand. And remember the shops are open again on Boxing Day! Just for all those wonderful bargains - like lip smacking cheesboards for a tenner rather than £25, gorgeous pates and mulled wine for 1.99 to brighten up miserable January afternoons. No point going bonkers for two days when it's all reduced the day after and you're desperate to get out for a mosey and away from MIL. . remembers the Waitrose smoked salmon reduced from £5.99 to £1.25 one year

I know Chesty, I realised as soon as I'd sent it.

Oh and lest we sound really mean our god children and children of close family friends get vouchers - used to be Book Tokens; but now get Amazon as they're all teenagers and some are at Uni.

Do you understand now?

Buying 2 presents a month is more affordable and realistic then 24 in one month.

Buying the "big" present is saved until 5th November at the latest, just before the prices start to rise up again. There's a damn sight more sales during the rest of the year than there is at the end of the year and more offers.

I've started Christmas shopping, simply to get it out of the way and spread the cost.
Cannot stand the crowds and hate shopping at the best of times.
I have seriously had bad dreams in the past that it's nearly shop closing time on Xmas eve and I haven't started yet.
Wake up in a sweat and it's still January two weeks to go.
Hideous.

I understand the it spreads the effort argument, not that it spreads the cost. It still costs the same, unless you get some amazing bargains.

But how do you know what your children will want in July?

My ds just had a birthday. He changed his mind about the lego he absolutely LOVED and HAD TO HAVE MUMMY about 5 times in the few weeks preceding.

I buy my cards and wrapping paper in the January sales.
Just like my Mum

Do things really go up in price for Christmas? Ime they reach their peak in October/November, with amazing bargains to be had from 2nd week of December onwards.

YAB a bit silly op, it does make sense! I started buying Christmas, birthday and anniversary gifts in January because that feeling of 'Fuucccckkkkkk' when an occasion pops up started doing my head in. Although tbf I make my entire family sick, especially when I told my brother what I'd gotten for DNiece birthday ... 3 months before her birthday. If you shop around and keep an eye out you will avoid spending vast amounts of cash and a whole lot of stress!

You don't buy for your children early. You buy for everyone else that doesn't get to ask for what they want. E.g. Presents for teachers, aunties, friend's kids.

You buy things like champagne when it's on offer and stash it away until Xmas.

The things that you buy people every year like aftershave for DH which is always the same.

Yes. It still costs the same. But I can afford £50 from my spare cash each month. But I can't afford £500 in one month. It's more to do with cash flow than overall cost.

Obviously if cash isn't an issue then it doesn't matter.

I have always thought that people who buy Christmas presents really early must be the ones that give people presents they don't like/want.

How else do you know that the person won't buy it for themselves/be given it by someone else/save up their pocket money for it?

Sorry.

And what if they change their mind? Or you buy an Appleblahdiblah 4 in July for XX money but by December the Appleblahdiblah 5 has come out and you could have got the 4 for a lot less?

I understand the budgeting thing and I do save up. But I wouldn't dream of buying the stuff so early.