Blood, sweat & tinsel..

[cornflakecrunchie]

I know it's only just October.. but I have a lot to buy. I've started already & am so stressed out. Trying to think what to get, spending hours online, send for stuff & the doorbell's going all the time, then the wrapping, OMG, the WRAPPING.. my back's hurting, there's paper, sellotape & scissors everywhere, nowhere to put anything, mostly stuffed in a huge cardboard box in the lounge.
Remembering to pop receipts in, as there's always SOMEONE who wants to return gifts, the expense of posting everything as it gets nearer the time.. it seems to get more taxing every year.
Anyone else? Please say it's not just me..

I'm not quite this stressed but no, it's not just you. I find planning for Christmas very stressful I try and get it all done as early as possible so I can enjoy December stress free.

At least my daughter is no longer at her infants school so I'm not on the PTA anymore. That was a nightmare at Christmas.

I put present in the loft as I buy then take a whole day to wrap while watching a Christmas movie. I'll usually do this a few days before they break up. Take two days if necessary.

I started using the ironing board as a wrapping table. Found it a lot easier with no back ache.

Bloody hell you sound like a complete drama llama 😆

Op you’re retired…. Surely Christmas now is about not getting caught up in all the periphery

@Curledup14 That's how I feel!
I work hard at keeping life stress free, but Christmas..

How many presents do you need to buy? Is there any way you can reduce with vouchers or experiences?

I start earlier, around June time.

Wrap things as I buy them, have storage boxes stacked in my room to put them in, and I only buy for people I know well so it's easy to get gifts.

It's as stressful as you make it.

Who are all these people you’re buying for? Grandchildren? Do you host?

Are you an elf?! 😆

If not, I'd recommend cutting down and calming down.

Crikey! Why the pressure to do all this? No one will think any more of you for stressing so much.
Christmas is supposed to be fun, about a good time however that looks for you, and enjoying being with the people you spend time with.
How about making a list, visiting one big general store (M&S, TKMaxx) and limit yourself buying everything in one place or online? More and more I do vouchers plus something consumable ie to eat/drink/sling in the bath/read and people seem perfectly content.

I pick up bits as I go and shove them in my top room and then, like another poster, I spend a couple of days wrapping with Christmas nibbles and a good film (a heavyweight Sellotape dispenser helps enormously). I have a lot of people to buy for and this year I am having to cut back but even so there seems to be a lot of fiddly bits to wrap. And yes, I'm panicking already (I'm hosting too, so extra stress).

Who are you buying for? Any way you can put back?
I love Christmas and dont find it stressful at all. I'll start picking up bit and pieces in a few weeks. DH and I will sit down one evening a week or so before and do the wrapping in one big session.

Gift bags are a much better option than wrapping paper - reusable, quicker to fill & open, easier to tag. Can add pretty tissue to the top if you want it to look posh. I reuse the same ones for immediate family year on year (but standards are low here - my folks will reuse wrapping paper multiple times or just hand over a gift still in the amazon parcel!)

Another one close to retirement and stressing 3 months in advance.

Why?! Surely you see how daft it is to hey
massively worked up. And not like you’re dealing with all the school palaver!

I've warned everyone in advance I'm really reining it in this year so not stressing too much about it 🤷🏻‍♀️

For those that buy gift vouchers

Should I buy gift vouchers?

It's safest to stay clear of gift cards. Cash is boring, but is safer, more flexible and guarantees a gift of some sort.

With a gift voucher, if the company goes bust, there's no guarantee the voucher will be valid or accepted. Certainly, if you know or hear that a company may be in trouble, it's best to avoid buying gift cards or vouchers from them at all. Always do a Google search on the company before buying to double-check.

But we understand people want to buy them. If that's you, consider general vouchers valid at a host of stores, or just buying for mega-companies such as Amazon, Asda, John Lewis, M&S and Tesco. But even then, there's no 100% guarantee.

Cash is boring, but is safer...

Really doesn't have to be this stressful!

I know. I get very obsessed with the 'perfect Christmas' and wanting everything to go smoothly. I recognise how absurd it is but that doesn't stop me, unfortunately. To be fair, I have a LOT of other stuff on in the lead up to Christmas, so I'm not going to have a clear run at it, so I do need to get organised in plenty of time.

Do you have grandchildren? Is that why all the effort? Or all for your adult children? Do you host?

Second this. They’re so much easier and lots of experience type presents have discount codes on line.

I gradually reduced the amount of presents I bought at Christmas about 15 years ago, I told relatives/friends I wasn't going to do it any more and they agreed.

This year I will be buying only three small presents, four kids get money, adult niece gets largeish cheque. That's it.

No stress involved, Christmas is more enjoyable these days.

We did the same last Christmas @Myblueclematis .

Agreed with all friends and adults to stop doing presents and just spend happy times together instead doing lovely things.

No stress, everyone save a fortune and we could really enjoy the run up to Christmas rather than going out of our minds. Best Christmas ever - repeating it this year.

We do an inexpensive Secret Santa between my siblings and our spouses. This year I'm doing a gift amnesty with SIL and doing £5 kids gifts and a day out together with the money we save. I've already got them some bits from Argos toy sale.

So I have 1 baby niece, one secret santa present and my parents (virgin experience voucher) and obviously my own kids but I collect for stockings from September. I don't do anyone else! DH will sort his parents and we don't bother with presents for each other!

I think people would be delighted with either chocolate or booze and a voucher.

Sod that. We sacked off presents ages ago between adults. None of us need anything.

@CinnamonCinnabar I like your gift bags idea.. think I'll try that for next year. Yes, to those who were asking, I do have grandchildren, children, siblings, aunts & uncles, nephews / neices, friends, neighbours etc - prefer to drop the latter but it is what it is..
As @RunningNananananananananana says, I don't do vouchers because of shops going bust, & find 'experiences' get wasted. I tried cash but it was just getting passed back & forth through the family!
I think it must be an age thing, tbh, I never used to be this stressed about it all..
even when the kids were young & all the school stuff was going on at the same time!

Could you do one of those all in one voucher as that covers a load of shops/ restaurants etc.