To find the shops utterly depressing at this time of year?

[BasinHaircut]

Is it just me?

I can’t really articulate why I find it all a bit depressing but the Xmas music, piles of overpriced shit and number of people are the obvious things that grate.

YANBU, I think the shops are full of cheaply made, shoddy, plastic and polyester overpriced landfill all year round but at this time of year it is increases exponentially.

I have no idea why people are so desperate to waste their hard earned cash on it. Might as well throw the cash straight into landfill or donate to charity.

I am off to meet DS1 for coffee tomorrow in the town he's at Uni in. He said he wouldn't kind a quick look around the shops too. Gulp. There's a shop called 'Menkind' which is the epitome of Christmas tat, he'll probably want to go in there. After we have had our seasonal flavoured coffees obviously.

I’m pretty sure I saw a musical shortbread tin in M&S earlier. What the fuck?!

You are being unreasonable about the biscuit tins, to be fair. The M&S ones are hilarious. They're usually so off key they sound like they were tuned by Les Dawson. And they contain biscuits. So, yes, definitely unreasonable about that.

Otherwise, no. I like Christmas , but I like it to be special and to be looked forward to, not something that starts in June, ramps up in October and takes half a year to wade through.

The advent calendars are insane. I saw a Happy Socks' one on the John Lewis website. Who the hell counts down to Christmas with a fresh pair of brand new socks every day? 24 pairs of socks? I'm pretty sure it was about £££ too. Who the hell would buy a sock advent calendar?

ginger That one is bad.

The thing that bothers me is why have we been brainwashed to believe we need stacks of presents under the tree?

Who needs a plastic Christmas bauble containing a cheap bath bomb and a glittery eyeliner in a colour that suits almost nobody?
If someone needs slippers, surely you'd get them a nice pair of slippers, not a gift set of decidedly average to substandard slippers that costs the same amount because they've also thrown in a pair of festive socks and a headband?

I love stocking fillers and DH and I seem to challenge each other to get the little odds and ends that we've both whined about in passing that will be useful (e.g. he likes DIY so I'm getting him a tool mat so he can stop using the sodding kitchen tops or main table he can enjoy DIY more). But some stuff in shops seems really geared around having lots of boxes that won't be used eg. Multi packs of soap, 3 for 2 deodorant sets

It's the wild eyed desperation in shoppers' eyes, combined with the mountains of stuff nobody would buy at any other time of year. You can see that the money in their purse (it usually is women) is burning a hole in one half of their brain, and the need to buy something, anything is burning a hole in the other half. So any sort of thought about what people would like, or what would be a sensible budget, is out of the window. Buy, buy, and buy again is the motto. And the shops of course do everything they can to feed the frenzy.

It's become competitive consumption, and the one who can buy the most wins.

I'm definitely bah humbug abut Christmas these days for the pressure it creates and the waste it generates. I'm not suggesting we go back to an orange and a penny in one of Dad's old socks but it's gone way too far the other way.

@Northernsoullover we were gifted a musical biscuit tin three years ago and we bring it out every Xmas. It is a pleasant decoration.

MabelMoo I only use gift bags with my family - the same ones get reused year after year.

Not sure what's going on in these parts but aldi was empty at ten past six tonight. The Tesco across the road looked quiet as well. it was brilliant

Completely agree, this morning at Sainsbos most people in the queue seemed just to want to get on with their everyday shopping but had to endure the faux jolly Christmas music, the piles of special Christmas gin/ candies/ 'discounted' gift boxes all around. How many times till 'So this is Christmas...' drives me insane??

When I first moved to this country I was really taken aback by the aisle-emptying shopping frenzy - and the whole 'Oh go on, it's Christmas so why not eat/ buy this extra indulgent thing' mindset.

@dreichXmas we were gifted a musical biscuit tin three years ago and we bring it out every Xmas. It is a pleasant decoration.

And, if it's an M&S one, probably an utterly terrible but hysterically funny music box. I've also got a couple that come out each year. I'd like them to do a doubly festive Morcambe & Wise tie in on the basis they play all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

Agree with everything that's been said. I've stopped doing gifts with all friends and family apart from my DC. Makes life so much easier and no exchanging shite that no one wants that will just end up in the charity shop or landfill.

I've been asked if I'm all sorted for Christmas today, its 2 December!

Then Amazon had an ad about last minute gifts.

Have I missed something?!

Online is the way to go.

I have been anti tat for the last couple of years now.
Makes things much harder tbh.

I work o. A store which at present is stocking Christmas decorations

The bike and anger aimed at us because we’ve ‘run out’ of wreath hangers/silver tinsel is unbelievable

We’ve not ‘run out’ we’ve just sold through our seasonal products. That’s all. No more will be coming in, we are done.

But of course we’ve ruined their Christmas!

I’ve never done kids party bags for this very reason, I was called mean etc in here. It’s good to see a shift in attitudes.

My kids get stuff they need, a few things they want and some money.

They get stockings with nice sweets a new mug and some socks. Things they like and will use all year.

I have never brought into the constant tat.

I have several friends who have Christmas themed everything. Lamps, bedding, knives and forks, plates etc - all for one day. It’s so over the top it must take the magic away.

@TheNestedIf it is fairly terrible music, but pretty funny!

I've got to admit I googled the sock advent calendar, my DD would love it because she wears Dr Martens with stupid socks everyday. If it wasn't more than £100 I might have bought it!

Yes, if only everyone gave each other useful presents. Like cartons of Vim or bicycle puncture repair kits. Nothing really says happy Christmas like a sink plunger or a tub of bicarbonate of soda. Why the fuck do people want to have fun anyway? Fun isn't good for the environment and if it isn't good for the environment it's no good for me.

People aren’t saying by Vim.

Just the novelty crap - glitter Christmas cards aren’t ‘fun’ nor do we need socks in cardboard boxes when they aren’t normally, same with gloves or hats - twice the price in a plastic fronted boxes.

Surely it’s better to buy a good quality usefully item rather than tat?

Just the novelty crap - glitter Christmas cards aren’t ‘fun’ nor do we need socks in cardboard boxes when they aren’t normally, same with gloves or hats - twice the price in a plastic fronted boxes.
Surely it’s better to buy a good quality usefully item rather than tat?
This is the point.

If someone needs pyjamas then get a nice pair of pyjamas, not cheaper quality ones that cost more because they're in a gift box with a free pair of socks and all the associated plastic and cardboard packaging.

I'd also be interested what sort of random tat from shops like MenKind is used and appreciated a week after Christmas.

Equally look at the stands of panic gifts and stocking fillers in many shops. They're there because they know people will panic and buy just a few extras for stockings because they're usually £10-20. Before you know it someone who wouldn't have bought an extra £100 gift has spent for on excess of that on little trinkets.

It's easy to say people are boring and Scrooge-ish but the whole thing is advertising and money making.

Im always amazed by the number of people on mnet who will refer to "popping to the shops" or "going shopping" as an activity that needs to happen 2 or 3 times z week. Eg people will talk about needing a pushchair for an older toddler because they can't last walking round the shops... i never understand this because i didnt realise people still did this! I just buy everything online. I thought most people did. My parents in their late 60s do too.

So i completely avoid the shops mental seasonal displays etc.

Thought it was OK to wrap presents as at least the paper is recycled . But apparently it isn't. Anyone know if this is true ?
And I have previously been guilty of buying shite to add to a pile, especially when was buying electronic games that were very expensive, but small.
But no more , partly because of finance and also kids are now adult DCs that don't approve of the waste.
So going to follow " Something you want , something you need, something to eat , something to read."
The relief!

Over the last few days I have had to ‘pop to the shops’ a few times for a lightbulb, some glue, cat litter, and a birthday card and stamps. So I should have bought all these online? How?

NoIDont you come across as very smug about your shopping habits. Do you never run out of the odd thing that need replacing immediately - eg milk, batteries, light bulbs?
It's no wonder that retail is in such dire straits. If everyone did all of their shopping online we would gave no shops at all.

I do occasionally buy from Amazon and other online providers but generally I prefer to support local businesses and companies who pay their taxes.

I was in Meadowhall yesterday, and wandering through Debenhams just made me feel Christmassy. Yes, there was some tat, but I managed to find a couple of presents amongst it.