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've been ordering books and things like that as any savings I try gets eaten away.

My DC are only wee though, I think it is a lot harder for older kids.

My mother starts buying wrapping paper in January and presents from them. From about now she will be sitting in her front room wrapping presents to sir cliff Richards.

Listening I should say. She's pretty weird but I don't think she's bought anything for cliff this year.

Because I don't buy the "big" present until nearer Christmas, but my dds always want stationery, funny tights, hats, onesies, bags, anything with a Smurf, My Little Pony etc on it.

Santa doesn't accept additional Christmas hints past 8 December in my house. I don't know, maybe it works because my kids are young? My dd1 wants a tablet for Christmas, she's wanted one for months, she's still going to want one in 10 weeks time, but I've the money for it now. My 2 year old will get what she's given - infact it's already bought

Ah, I'm beginning to understand now because I don't buy presents for teachers, aunties or friends' children.

We buy presents for our dc, parents, siblings and nephew and niece. We don't have loads of presents to buy, only about 12 apart from the dc.

That was my Mum Harold, she'd start her wrapping around now

I once 'lost' the stockings, i'd shoved them right under my bed, fully stuffed and couldn't find them on Christmas eve when I was pissed .
Lucky the DC were a bit older and thought it was funny when I finally dug them out in the morning.

The shame.

See Minty, i'd have my parents done ages ago, plonk, any spirits, boxes of sweets, stuff for stockings etc.
And my brother if I bought for him, which I don't.

Do you not have a kind of standard list of stuff that goes in the stocking? E.g. Pjs, a book, stickers, pencils, toothbrush, some sweets, socks, expanding flannel, DVD.

Those are the kind of things you can buy in advance without there being any danger of them changing their minds.

But the point is. You may be able to afford to buy all 12 presents, plus the kids stuff from one pay check or have surplus in the bank. Lots of people don't have that much surplus once all the bills are paid.

I remember when I was a nipper I would run into town and buy them on Xmas eve after work and before I hit the pub.

Those were the days.

I buy for certain people well in advance. My mum likes a particular perfume (she thinks it's too expensive to buy for herself) so I get it when it has a free gift/extra points, which either saves me money or gets me a posh boxed set. OH is in mainland Europe lots with work, so he gets stuff like bottles of spirits on the ferry or posh wine in France. And as other people have said, the DCs will always want things like stationery, itunes/waterstones vouchers, stocking fillers like nail varnish, etc.

I don't think we spend any less, it just makes life (and budgeting) easier. And we tend to get more for our money.

But Wips, it still costs the same.

If you earn £1000 in September, October and November and spend £100 on Christmas presents in each of those months then you are left with £2,700.

If you don't spend £300 on Christmas presents before December, then you have the £300 left to spend in December.

Mintyy, depending on your budget the £300 might be swallowed by an unexpected bill. Then you'd have to find another £300.

The cost may well be the same.

But a person's income[even if the same each month, which a lot of peoples' is not] and their expenditure, are not necessarily the same each month. Perhaps yours is? So a person may well be flush in July but not in November or whenever.

And yes, if you only buy a smaller number, buying them all the 2nd week in Dec if you can afford it may well not be a problem at all.

Buying a toy for christmas for a boy aged 3 in August isnt always the smartest move.

I buy throughout the year to save money. When under something that would be great on offer, I buy it.

It doesn't cost the same!

For example sticking fillers are half price as I buy them when they are on offer.

When I was on my own and pretty skint, I used to get tax credits paid 4-weekly. This works out at 13 payments over the year. When I got my 'extra' payment, I'd buy as much as I could because it wasn't getting swallowed by bills. I don't know if they still do that, but was a fab little bonus.

In general I have more expense in December - Christmas fetes, I go out more, the kids probably go out more/more treats - so my disposable ha! income is lower, so it makes sense for me to buy earlier - I know my limitations I won't save a bit every month to have more money in December and also I've less time in December - loads more school bits & pieces, I usually pick up extra waitressing/bar/ cleaning shifts, so I couldn't be arsed either going to the shops or raking about on the internet.

Id love to swan into a large department store with lackey behind me grabbing items I point out to them with my gloved finger as I swish through the aisles.

Sadly I have to buy slowly bit by bit so when it comes to December with all the other costs that just creep in, I am not totally broke.

Instead I have a hoarde of gifts, all brought in plenty of time, at the best prices I could find from endless searching. No last minuet temptation or panic buying.

In fact it feels great, I didn't start from 11 months ago though probably in June/July I brought the first few items, I have just placed my last order.

now i just need to stay away from the shops in decemeber

YABU. If your son changed his mind about Lego that often, he would also have changed his mind after he received it meaning the present was not appreciated for long.

People who buy in advance often look for classics or mainstays which don't go in and out of fashion and avoid faddy character based/tv show related stuff.

There are savings to be had in January!

That too, wiggles. December is an expensive and busy month.

Yes you are being spectacularly dense OP

Wips 21.51pm post probably explains it well.

Spreading the cost mean eg
Jan 0, Feb £10, March 0 April £35 May 0 June 0 July £50 Aug £15 Sept £60 Oct 0 Nov £100 Dec £100 Total £370

Lots of people cannot afford to spend the whole lot of £370 in December, so they spread the cost throughout the year. Yes, either way it is £370, but as a poster said, if she spent £370 in christmas presents in December she couldnt afford any food.

[Agree with Retro though that you can get bargains as well, but dont want to confuse you at this point].

For me it's less about the money and more about finding individual presents that people will like. If I leave it until December I get all rabbit in the headlights and can't think of ideas. But if I shop through the year, I just happen to see things in the shops and think 'ooh, mum would love that book/ necklace/ picture/ whatever', and stick it in the present cupboard. Just yesterday I found a wildlife game for DS1 in a charity shop that he'll absolutely love. 50p, straight in the cupboard, will make his day at Christmas.

It doesn't cost the same. I bought 10 of these Lego games for £3 each when Tesco had a flash sale on lego in February.

I have used some of them for birthday presents for boys in DS's class, but still have 3 to give to my friend's kids for Xmas.

Not only did I pay for them back in February so don't have that cost in December, but it looks like I have spent a lot more than I actually did and the kids get a nicer gift than a fiver would have bought in December.

I have done the same with loads of things. Nice imaginext aeroplanes for two wee pre school boys that should be £15 but were vastly reduced in elc plus I had a birthday code so they were within my £5 budget. They don't care that they are not current season.