To start planning / buying for Christmas?

[Farevalah]

Went to Tesco the other day and noticed the tubs of Roses and QS at the front, which only means one thing!

I've made a start on a few small gifts, DH thinks I'm crazy and it's far too early. Please tell me I'm not the only one planning in August? ☃️🎄🎁

It makes good financial sense to start prepping now. I pick things up in the sales all year round if I have space to store them.

We start buying Christmas food too as I don't want to be involved with the hoards of people fighting over the last cracker

I don't think it's too early! I've started thinking about presents & doing some lists.
I bought my first gift in June. It's actually for a December birthday but it's a cost I've met now, which helps.

I would buy sweets in advance now they're Tesco but we're in a small flat with few hidey holes and DP likes QS & Roses (I'm not fussed) and would niffle them out and eat them in no time!

I think I'm gonna start now otherwise I'll never afford it. Saving for a wedding so need to spread costs out more.

Only 4 pay days until Christmas for me. I'm starting a list today 🎄

I take it you are referring to xmas 2022 as it's far too late for xmas 2021 now?

I read an article that said if your kids want a particular toy and you see it then you should get it as they think there might be difficulties with supply due to the lack of lorry drivers etc.

I think it was a toy shop manager they were interviewing though.

You need only to nip across to the Christmas board to see that you're not alone.
I am a reformed last minuter, and now try to have everything done by November, so I can actually enjoy December without the pressure.

Yeah I’m starting this month, now that I’ve sorted DS’ birthday (end of Sept).

I’m on a tight budget and also worried about supply chains- lots of warnings already about Christmas supply, and whilst I’m not worried about that in terms of scarcity, I can well do without the usual Christmas madness plus new supply chain panic to navigate.

@Queenie6655

Finished my kids Xmas shopping yesterday

45 pounds in total

Love love love Home bargains !!!!

Well done you, Home Bargains is fab, going shopping there later myself. Even my DH likes having a look around there, and he isn’t a shopper at all.

I’ve started on my stocking fillers but will soon be purchasing the main presents. I hate to wait until last minute and would rather do it over a couple of months than have to do it all at once and skint myself.

What OiPanda said above, article in yesterday's i newspaper about expected toy shortages primarily due to the cost and lack of shipping containers coming from the Far East. Said the second orders they usually do in October when better idea of the bestsellers will likely not arrive in time for Christmas.

No you are not to early. I buy throughout the year as I see stuff for presents

I do a savings plan out of my salary and get the money on my November pay. I do but some things before then though, especially if I see something that I know dds would like. Never too early.

Definitely not unreasonable at all! I’ve done the bulk of my shopping this month, using the summer sales etc. Then I’ll buy small things I might see in the lead up to Christmas. I think it pays to plan these things and not leave it until the last minute, we also don’t know whether there will be shortages or we’ll be in another lockdown so I like to be prepared.

We’re due a baby in November so I’d like to get the Christmas buying done before she comes! I usually start around October :-)

Definitely not unreasonable, I have a Christmas savings pot which I add to every month and then from September start getting bits in so I can shop around and get the best prices.

We generally have a budget of £100 x 2 for our kids, then £120 for family presents, £80 for me and DH and then £150 for all food, I don’t know how people afford to do it all in December!

I shop all year round. If I see something I think someone will love, I get it. No panicking at Christmas, no huge bill all in one go and everyone gets a gift I thought about carefully. Not that it guarantees they will like it!

I buy all year round, when I see bits I know the kids will like at a good price, for their non-Santa stuff.

As my kids are Christmas and Lego nuts, they've already done their lists, the majority of which is Lego (which I could guess without a list, frankly )!

I save money each month and will go to Sainsbury's during the toy sale to buy as much as possible there. I also save Nectar points to buy stuff during Double Up in November.

September isn’t far off, and once we’re into September, the time always seems to whizz by so fast. So to me, it’s never too early, not that I’ve done much at all yet - just 2 things for a sister and SiL that I happened to see.

Anything’s better IMO than a last minute panic when the shops are nightmare-busy and the thing you thought might be nice for so-and-so is sold out.

Just don’t buy things and then a) forget where you hid them, or b) forget that you even bought them, and buy something else….
I still haven’t found the mega packet of nuts I bought for dh’s stocking in about early November last year. He swear blind he hasn’t found and scoffed them. (Nut addict.)

@TheatricalGiraffe

I'm about half done..

It always makes me giggle how the "it's too early" crowd are always the ones running around on Christmas eve/week of Christmas complaining they can't find what they want or the shops are too busy or what they're after is out of stock..

Sips tea with my fully done pile of presents bought at half price before they put all the prices up for christmas

This is me.

Expect I'm sipping a nice glass of baileys and eating quality street that I purchased in October.

I start mine in September. Finish it well before then I can relax and know I can no afford it all.

YABU to do anything than ask for any time off work you'd like, or ensuring you have the money for what you plan to do.

YANBU you can't be too early - who wants to stress through December when you can get it all sorted in advance?

I've already got a wardrobe overflowing with toys as my sister and I bargain hunt all year round. We donated about half of the stuff to our local primary schools as we are in a very poor area . Nothing mega special, but offers from Amazon, Argos toy sale etc. I spend about £10 a week stocking up the cupboard. I use some of them for nephews and Nieces and my new grandson. I've also got my youngest son a whole load of Lego Mario sets that were all at least half price. My grandson has got 2-3 nice wooden toys . My nephews Meccano that was mega cheap. I've even got my husband a box of Beatles socks I found half price. So really I'm around 75% done for gifts. Got to get my youngest daughter an Apple Watch closer to the time ( Black Friday etc) and then just food and drink which I also pies order as soon as out comes out.

In the past when my kids were younger I would start Christmas shopping at 16.01 on Xmas even when Shops closed their doors and stayed online sales. Is the only way my kids got so much the following year.

I've finished for this year 😂 so ydnbu