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?

Yep I've started shopping already. I get food when it's on sale, don't pay the full price unless I have to, and they usually have a few drops in price between now and Christmas.

I have all my Christmas chocolate and alcohol and things like cheese cracker selection....its all hidden away in my bedroom otherwise my Adult DC would feast on it beforehand !.... I also have bought candles and paper plates and Christmas cards ( from .you local charity)....I have bought Xmas pressies in next sale ( kids clothes for GC) and several theatre tickets as pressies..... Ili have also paid for a holiday for DP.....I've got my DM a book and a jigsaw.....'m probably half way there as far as Christmas goes I reckon

I have started buying gifts.

It is not silly to start buying stuff now.

Might as well do it now, it will be twice as expensive when it gets here

I’ve got my BF’s birthday in late November, 2 DCs with birthdays in December and another DC with a birthday in January. I see no choice other than starting early!
In all seriousness, I’ve had the same thoughts / conversations for years and also thought I was odd to start early, but one year I left it until late November and it was SO stressful! I found it harder to buy decent gifts as the shelves are stuffed with novelties and Christmas-specific tat and genetic gift sets. YANBU!

I tend to do my gift shopping throughout the year as many pp have said to avoid the rush and hiked Xmas prices. Due to last years Covid/lockdown sales, I actually got a decent haul for my family, and boy am I glad for it. For example I picked my sister a Ralph Lauren cable knit cardi for £40 last year and the same is ‘on sale’ now for £120 and the cheapest I’ve seen it all year (so far anyway) has been £80. I know she’ll love it and I’m happy I got it for cheaper than anyone would have now.
The whole family has imposed a strict budget for presents this year (for adults anyway) due to the high cost of living, so I’ve only got a few presents left to purchase. Which in this current climate I’m chuffed to bits about. Screwed for next Xmas though 🤣🤣

Of course your husband leaves it all to the last minute! It’s so that you do it all!

I started my Christmas shopping last year, as soon as I was done with last year's. I can get much better presents if I take advantage of sales!

Same here, I hate shopping when it gets too busy and becomes stressful

I never start until November. I like to get a head start by buying some bits in November but I am usually still buying well into December. However I’m so proud of myself this year - I opened a new, separate savings account in January and set up a standing order to transfer £100 a month into it. So it’s up to £900 now and when I come to start buying in November it’ll be up to £1000. Every other year of my adulthood until now I’ve had a huge credit card bill to pay off in Jan and Feb - not this year! I don’t know why I never thought to do it before.

First week of December here. Ask the parents of nieces and nephews what they want in mid-November and purchase the first week and ship it the second week. Keeping it simple. My side are bringing Christmas gifts for our boys over when they visit in a few weeks (they live in the States) and they go a bit overboard so Christmas is set for our sons.

Nope not unreasonable, I've done 80% of my presents so far, planning to get the rest in the next month or so and food shop nearer the time.

I save the majority of december trying to get organised for c mas as we have guests from before c mas day to beyond ny day.. i also want to enjoy december.. the spirit of it.. so this means i never do any c mas shopping apart from the food in december when the shops are busy.
I have 2 present boxes full of all year round gifts , which i collect as and when through the year.
The thing that throws me is a sudden last min neigbour left gift on my doorstep. The sudden rush to find a neutral gift is a stress.
You are not unreasonble at all !

I feel the nicer stuff comes out closer to Christmas but it's a good idea to get ahead. I wouldn't buy food though.

Definitely!

I also think that, in the current situation, it's a great opportunity for all those people who feel bullied into spending huge amounts on presents for say, adults in the family, to be brave and say 'children's gifts only this year', or do a Secret Santa.

Take the opportunity while you can! Our family don't have an 'expensive present culture/tradition', thank God, or I don't know how we'd manage. Adults have always got a very nice but token gift of around 10-15 quid. We're adults...and if we want something, we'll buy it. If we haven't bought it already it usually means we don't want it, so I'm baffled about this thing in some families where the adults ask for £100 presents for themselves....crazy!

Omg I didnt even know there was a Christmas board! I'm on it