To not think about Christmas until December ( lighthearted)

[Dishwashersaurous]

Am I the only person on mumsnet who doesn't really give any thought to Christmas until December. Clearly, judging by the number of threads, I'm in a minority. But please tell me that I'm not the only one!

YANBU.

There’s a time and a place for everything, and for Christmas, it’s December.

and making snowy footprints

do you go for a walk or literally just purposely make footprints?

I have exactly 2 Christmas jobs:

• put lights on tree
• cook Hungarian Christmas lunch on 24th

I also help DH wrap stocking gifts & other presents when he needs, but it's not my sole responsibility.
And we discuss gift ideas (I agree or veto) but it's him who thinks about them so no I don't think about Christmas unless I'm forced to.

he does everything else.

I love all the holidays; we planned and booked Halloween stuff in early September, I was a bit surprised when people moaned in mid-Oct that events were sold out about why would they expect to book so late.

There's a middle ground though. I would expect 2 wks before to be tight but not 4 or 6 wks.

I think it's fine to do Christmas whenever is right for you. Denigrating the way other people do it, not so much. People like to declare other people's choices wrong, commercialised, gross, ott etc but that's all v loaded.

I do most Christmas prep early because I like it and that should be enough. Same as some people start planning their big summer holiday in March, shopping for clothes, checking exchange rates, deciding activities and so on. However, I also have to do it early. I make presents and decorations and that takes time. I also can't afford Christmas and the 11 Dec/Jan birthdays we have in our family in one go so I have to shop throughout the year. And no there's no risk to shopping early because I am buying either one off stuff usually (vintage, second hand) or I'm buying for my own DC and I know what they will want/need and what they don't have already.

I think most people don't do Christmas until December tbh but I attach no value judgment to their choices.

@HeyFloof

I couldn't get away with "not wanting to think about Christmas till December". I couldn't afford to. Things get so much more expensive.

I was looking through my gift list for the kids and there are things that I bought in summer that have gone up £5/10+ since then. The bike I got in August has gone up £120. 😱

There is a late-comers premium on just about every part of Christmas.

Pre kids I usually went for my Christmas shopping no earlier than the end of November, sometimes later.

My mum, sister and I would do a day at the shops and get everything.

Now that I have kids I usually start thinking about what to buy them from October onwards. One of my DC has a late October birthday though so I feel I have to get that out of the way before I properly give my attention to Christmas.

From late October onwards I tend to start buying bits online - mostly Amazon as I see them.

I don’t wrap until December. Usually the week leading up to Xmas. Although last year I did it 2 weeks before and I felt really organised so this year will be doing it a bit earlier.

I love Christmas. I love Christmas music, I don’t mind busy shops (pre Covid!), I don’t mind the queues, I like Christmas themed food. But I only like it on the weeks running up to Xmas. Not the months before!! That’s why we always did a day at the shops late Nov/early December.

I have friends who wrap presents in the summer - I quite like waiting and having a baileys, with the tree up. Ok I’m sure it takes the stress away wrapping them as you buy them buy I would miss the Christmassy feeling

I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas. On the one hand I hate that it now seems to start in September and refuse to do any shopping, decorating etc until December. On the other I get severe FOMO and worry that nobody will want to see us, I won't be able to think of nice presents for people, I will miss out on Christmassy events. It's also my Birthday on Christmas Day, so I never get to do anything that other people do on their birthdays. On the upside though people generally tend to remember it

Actually that reads like a hate/hate relationship! I do enjoy Christmas itself but every other year would suit me - it seems to come round so quickly.

@ShowOfHands - "Same as some people start planning their big summer holiday in March, shopping for clothes, checking exchange rates, deciding activities and so on."
Interesting point. We used to only book for last minute deals as we're flexible where we go, so the opposite way up for that. Now we book DS activities though we have to get more organised with dates so that we can fit everything in.

I have a different approach but that's because December is very busy and I like to be able to relax and enjoy it.

All of my presents are now bought and most are wrapped. Most of my Christmas cards are written, stamped and addressed. We've started buying non perishable food and drink. I am doing a floor by floor deep clean of the house this month and sorting through stuff. All of our Christmas activities are booked and on the calendar. It just means there's less pressure closer to the time.

Yabu, we've had stuff booked for 2 weeks now that we didn't get the days/times we would have preferred. Its what comes with having a young child, once your children are grown up or if you don't have any you can be a lot more flexible with things!

Plus, I usually work somd days at Christmas, so that needs planning around. I say usually, but this year I'll be on maternity leave as I'm due on the 1st of Jan. Another reason I need be organising now!

You can be quietly getting on with Christmas shopping throughout the year without bothering anyone else about it. I do this and it's fine.

If you want to leave it all to December don't complain that things are sold out and fully booked. It's not a surprise that Christmas happens every year! It's more cost effective to spread shopping through the year.

So many things aren't actually out until now or a bit later though in terms of actual stock (I've worked in buying) that's why I find it weird to have bought all the presents already.

I don't start enjoying celebrating Christmas until December but I start shopping for gifts much earlier as it takes financial planning to ensure my December cash will cover the extra food and drinks.

But it's not more cost effective to buy through the year. Can save the money each month instead. Also where do you store wrapped gifts from October?

But absolutely each to their own.

@Dishwashersaurous

But it's not more cost effective to buy through the year. Can save the money each month instead. Also where do you store wrapped gifts from October?

But absolutely each to their own.

It really is much cheaper to buy early.

Try putting a toy in your Amazon basket in August/September and watch the price go up and up just a few pence at a time every time you log on until its several quid more to buy in December and times that by the number of gifts you have to buy.

Fair enough, some people can afford that, but lots of others can't.

@Dishwashersaurous

But it's not more cost effective to buy through the year. Can save the money each month instead. Also where do you store wrapped gifts from October?

But absolutely each to their own.

Good heavens Check the pricing how things going up around Christmas time!!!

I eBay throughout the year
Prices up about 50% closer to Christmas you get.

@Dishwashersaurous

But it's not more cost effective to buy through the year. Can save the money each month instead. Also where do you store wrapped gifts from October?

But absolutely each to their own.

It is much cheaper. In my last post I said a bike I bought in August has since gone up £120. I've just had a cursory glance over the already bought list on amazon and what it costs now and most of it had gone up by at least £3, in some cases £5/10.

Saving up doesn't work for people either. If you buy a present in September, you can put it away and it will still be a present in December that you can give yo your child.

If you save the £20 that the present cost, and then it goes up to £30 so you can't afford it, or goes out of stock so you have to look to eBay where it will cost more and have postage costs, or the electricity bill is bigger than you expected, then that £20 will get eaten up in the daily cost of living.

I keep presents either on top of the wardrobe in bin bags, or in my parents garage.

I'm not sure everything is more expensive. I have toys from say John Lewis & Playmobil that are X price, come autumn there is a 20% off & they are cheaper. I do try & avoid Amazon though.

I like Christmas and I don't even mind seeing a few Christmassy things in the shops in September but I just don't like the way it becomes a burden on people with so many raised expectations. If some people are saving all year, buying hundreds of presents for everyone and getting them all wrapped by September and preparing a gourmet feast all planned out weeks in advance then anyone who isn't up to all that seems uncaring in comparison. I think we have enough pressure on us already.

@balonsz

So many things aren't actually out until now or a bit later though in terms of actual stock (I've worked in buying) that's why I find it weird to have bought all the presents already.

What sort of things do you mean? Most shops have stock all year round for toys, kitchen items etc, clothes are seasonal but by late summer the autumn/ winter stock is in. It's rare that we buy novelty Christmas socks or random packs of toiletries (might give someone's favourite perfume, but if it's discounted earlier in the year).

@MRex of course shops will have stock all year round but the run up to Christmas is a key trading time so they always have new things to encourage spending. So I've bought Barbies that have come out in September or Lego that was launched in Oct, beauty products & clothes Oct/Nov etc. Although I know post pandemic things have launched earlier due to last yr & supply chain worries so they will probably have to stick with this new model.

clothes are seasonal but by late summer the autumn/ winter stock is in.

They won't have all their a/w stock in as stores continually add newness. And specific party wear for Christmas doesn't launch in late summer.