Those of you who started planning Christmas in June...

[MardyBra]

... was it really worth it?

Or do you feel a teensy bit disappointed that you spent half a year planning one day?

My flabber will be ghasted if anyone actually fesses up.

where's the BU part?

What can you do in June? Ok, if you do all handmade gifts you need to start early... But otherwise start November is as early as you can really start. No?

I used to be an early planner, then realised that I was totally bummed out on christmas by the time it came around.

Christmas happens anyway, and no one gives a shit how many sparkly reindeer you have.

And a cupcake in a jar is a shit gift.

And you end up spending twice as much on sparkly tat because you've had longer to spot 'bargains'.

And to be honest, it happens every single year and pretty much follows the same components; there's a tree, presents, a roast dinner and alcohol.

It doesn't need a six month master plan.

sorry Jenny. I'm usually a stickler. But I thought it might provoke a bunfight anyway.

and what Clash said

People that start early is usually because we can't afford to pay for it all out of 1 or 2 wages, not about being worth it it's about being necessary

And I think the number of 'christmas is ruined' threads on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are testament to that.

Made worth it by my neice thanking me for her dress and telling me it was very beautiful and very warm There was a sale here and was pg and knew xmas had to be done by november.

Mardy

sweat it not, i fancy getting a few gripes off my tits too today

Bluecarrot. The Christmas topic gets active in the summer. I once started an Aibu about how sad it was to miss the summer thinking about the winter. Some of them got a bit upset.

I take issue with the fact you are calling it one day! Our Christmas has lasted the whole of December with an intense week when the serious stuff started from last Monday until, well, today, waving of the last of the visitors. (Thank fuck).

I'm not a starting from June planner though. (Although I think I need to be next year )

I started in July but I saved a fortune and had enough to buy new decorations and cushions. No stress. Enjoyed chilling (and giving birth) in December !

I started planning christmas in September time, starting buying presents then too. My eldest is soon to be 4 and I've never celebrated christmas before due to an abusive childhood. I very much enjoyed 'doing' christmas and it has healed a lot of hurt for me. It gives me hope I can rewrite my children's childhood to be better than my own.

I don't have a lot of money so enjoyed having time to look in charity shops and sales in shops to make my money stretch as far as possible.

If you'd have looked at us on Christmas Day you'd never have known how long it was being thought of/prepared. Just the 4 of us, posher than usual roast dinner, moderate amount of pressies and decorations. We had no decorations before this year and we spent every weekend of December doing something 'Christmassy' and really enjoyed the build up.

We had a great christmas, thank you. Nothing stressful, kids and adults loved it. Still enjoying ourselves now actually.

Did you have a nice christmas?

I'm with you OP.

I don't get the "we can't afford it so start early" thing at all. I save a bit of money each month so I have enough for Christmas and then do it from late November. That's no less affordable than buying from June onwards but means I'm not having to spend half the year hiding presents or thinking about it. I know someone who has bought and wrapped by mid October so she can 'enjoy' Christmas but then ends up buying a load more random stuff in December anyway because she's started to 'feel Christmassy'. Then she spends January and February complaining how poor she is!

I did thanks.

Was just the three of of us but felt quite the occasion. Everyone happy and relaxed.

at starting in June though. I've already been out and bought new decorations for Christmas 2015 in the sales. 50p a pop, thank you Wilkos!

I'm convinced that people spend much more if they start shopping very early.
My kids always change their minds constantly until the very last minute so a gift bought in June would probably be all wrong.

I buy Christmas and birthday presents whenever I see something that someone would like - often in charity shops, outlet stores or just in a sale
That doesn't mean I start planning Christmas early though!
I usually start thinking about it mid November and properly preparing from 1st December
I'm not bored with it yet - decorations went up less than 2 weeks ago and will come down on 5th Jan

My Christmas planning days are the best bit of the occasion and an end in themselves. (grammar not right there? )

I put my Christmas cake fruit to steep in brandy in August.

Hardly a major crime is it and it's a bit of escapism from a very demanding and time consuming job. It's 10 minutes here and there until December.

Not June, no way. But I did have all the presents wrapped and the food ordered by the end of Nov this year,so I got to enjoy doing all the Christmassy stuff with the children in December with no shopping to do. That was nice.

Yep totally worth it.

The thing is just because I might've bought something in June or whatever doesn't mean I've not thought of anything but christmas since then. Just like you might post about what you've watched on TV / eaten for dinner / saw happening in the street it's a passing thing , it's not my entire life between then and christmas.

Also it meant by December I was pretty much done so I could focus on ds's birthday and party, being ill for a week and a half and getting fuck all done, enjoying weekends with the family instead of shopping and not worrying about amazon getting deliveries to me on time.

What I find more puzzling than people planning in June is people who get annoyed at people, who they probably don't even know, planning in June.

Yes it was totally worth it.

Whilst everyone else was stressing about getting everything sorted in December i could relax and actually enjoy the festive season with my family without battling town to get everything done.

And yes i will start it again in around May time when i normally do.