To be buying things for Christmas now?

[Cryingbutstilltrying]

DH thinks I am being ridiculous buying things for Christmas now.
Gifts, food items with long enough dates, things that I consider sensible to have as we know they will be needed.
DH would do all (or indeed, none) of the shopping on the 24th December and seems baffled annually that it takes longer than this. He has conceded that maybe spreading it through December is ok.
We have dc, parents who will be staying for Christmas here and a number of items that will need to be posted.
I’m also thinking that if items are on offer and available now, given all the dire things going on, I would rather have them bought and hidden so the kids will get a nice Christmas regardless.
Pretty much all my friends have primary age kids and spread the cost and shopping in much the same way, so I think this is entirely reasonable.
Have I missed something about leaving it all to the last minute?

I only need to get 3 gifts....already bought and wrapped...!!!

I’ve got £62 in nectar points so that’s my main Christmas shop sorted as it’s cover the difference.

I've finished me. No stress now at all about Christmas. If I see an offer or a sale during the year then I snap it up and put it in the Christmas place. Take inventory in July and sort out the rest.

Why you want to run around the day before like a stressed headless chicken is beyond me.

I'm almost done - just DH's main present to pick up and one of DD's. Food wise, we have a Christmas shelf in the kitchen and it's looking very healthy indeed, lots of shortbread/biscuits/Christmas cake/port/Baileys etc. We're veggie so all our main meat-free stuff for Christmas and NY Days are in the freezer, as are desserts things for buffets. All decs, wrapping and bits like napkins and batteries are bought.

I usually buy well in advance but this year it makes more sense than ever, with winter potentially being the most expensive one in my memory. Plus I like to spend all of December soaking up the Xmas atmos rather than dashing about the shops like a headless chicken.

YANBU at all OP!

Does your DH by any chance not do much/any of the Christmas prep and rely on your careful planning and hard work instead?

Your DH thinks he’s still a teenager or young, free and single whereby you can indeed ‘do Christmas’ by going shopping on Christmas Eve for the few presents you have to give the next day. Either someone else is sorting the food or you’re happy with nothing much as the partying & hangover is more important.

It’s not a strategy that can translate to family life with young children if you’re hosting anyone at all.

He needs to grow up, basically!

I’ve been doing the same since July. Stocking fillers, some smaller gifts and a couple of bigger gifts for each of the 3 dc are done, I’ve also bought food that will keep (crisps, nuts, the dc’s selection boxes, chocolates beer/wine, the frozen stuff) as it felt less daunting doing a bit at a time given the price of everything at the moment.

It’s not realistic to do last minute. Money wise make sense to spread cost and buy whilst on offer. Toys sell out. The sheer logistics of wrapping and delivering. He can’t be battling around Asda to do massive food shop and wrapping presents and minding kids all on Xmas Eve.
I’d divide your list - you do children so they get presents him do rest.

Yes I always do

I buy odds and ends all year, I have a specific cupboard for presents at home, it sounds super organised but it isn’t actually, it’s my lazy way out of getting things when I need to, more often as the day approaches I’ve got something I know the birthday person will like and appreciate. I have a list on my iPad I keep up to date, I often get some good bargains. I also have a policy, all those over fifty get something to do, eat or drink, then it’s gone and they don’t have another thing cluttering up their life.

I am doing the same although getting married the week before Christmas. DP thinks I’m mad but I’m sure will thank me for it later!

I don't think you are being unreasonable, do what works for you but personally I don't even think about Christmas shopping until December 1st.

Crack on. I bought a bottle of Bailey's as it was on offer and some Christmas biscuits. I don't normally start this early but I'd like to spread the cost.
As a retailer myself, I sold twelve Christmas cushions yesterday and two table runners, so clearly people are thinking exactly the same thing this year. I don't normally start to sell the table runners until mid-late October.

I forgot to add, if the Royal Mail strikes go ahead, it may be prudent to get online shopping done as early as possible.

I started with pj's, hoodie blankets and a few things for their stockings.

In a perfect world I would have all my wrapping done by the end of November so I could actually enjoy December.

I start just after the summer holidays already got about 6 things for my daughter and the rest of family it’s just a £10 or £20 note so thas easy and can be sorted the week before xmas

I've almost finished my Xmas shopping!

His method wouldn't work for me because we live too far from family. I've always done it early. Firstly, it helps budgeting to buy a little each month. Secondly, it means I have plenty of time to arrange to visit family to drop stuff off. Thirdly, I actually like to just get it done and then relax in the run up to Xmas. Oh and I can't be arsed with the shops on Xmas eve.

I've got loads in the cupboard. Can't afford to do it all in December.

I definitely start now and pick up the odd present if I see something plus I get the extra occasional thing on my Tesco shop, stuff like cranberry sauce and quality street that doesn’t go off.

I don’t really get the people who have everything bought and wrapped by now though. That seems not very Christmassy to me!

I shall enjoy telling him that actually I’m behind 🤣🤣🤣
We have a couple of December birthdays too, and there are always multiple activities needing attendance for school, cubs, dance shows etc.
Work also ramps up for me in December. I’m working the whole of the week before Christmas including the 24th so no shopping will occur then!
If DH thinks he’s going to get anything done when he’s home with the kids I would be surprised.
Its a good point about strikes, thank you.
I just remember one year spotting something for dd, thinking oh yeah I’ll pick that up next week and then it was sold out. I truly don’t think he realises how disappointed the kids would be.
He will be dealing with all the fresh food shopping, and with kids in tow. I think this is a fair trade off, that’s my idea of hell!

Bear in mind the phrase ' no one knows how much I do until I don't do it'. Your DH has no idea, maybe you should hand everything over to him (would be for the first and last time, guaranteed).But then he'd understand.

I brought some of the chocolate tubs (celebrations/heroes etc) a few weeks back but I've already opened one so not sure that was a good idea to stock up on chocolate 🤣

I have got pretty much the DC sorted, some still waiting to be delivered. Will just need to get some stocking fillers in November.

I still have all the nieces, nephews and in laws/parents to do and usually do this in November. I would hate the anxiety of waiting nearer the time especially with all these postal strikes.

I started mid July for small things like stocking fillers and the usual pj’s etc. I can’t afford it otherwise and I like knowing half of the stress is off. We have several birthdays before and also need to post presents so it works for us.