To have started my Christmas shopping..

[insummeritrains]

Am prepared for a flaming

Every year I leave my Christmas shopping till the start of December. Inevitably I end up stressed and running around in a packed shopping centre and buying stuff without a lot of thought.

This year, I've decided to be a bit more organised and started picking up a few bits and pieces and can't believe the good stuff I'm picking up in the sales. Will end up saving an absolute fortune!! Got me thinking that this is the way forward..no stress and cheaper, more thoughtful presents. What's not to like?!

I'm starting next week. We want to get DD1 Birthday out of the way then we start for Christmas. We like to be finished by December so we can avoid the Town Centre.

#i bought my first Christmas present in the January sales!!

We have a lovely little pile now, just little ones now that we will pick up as and when. There are only 3 pay days left to go

I've been doing this for a few years now and I totally recommend it as it spreads the cost out, makes December less stressful (more money for the party season) and I can pick up some bargains in the sales.

Word of warning - most shops won't let you return something you've bought 6 months ago, so make sure you know it's a present they will like.

I don't get the 'spreading the cost' argument for buying early - isn't that what saving is for?

It's two halves of the same coin. I prefer to 'spread the cost' as it means I can get some bargains eg I once bought some pjs in the sale which were £10 from £20. If I saved the money, I wouldn't have been able to get them at that price in December.

The disadvantage of course is that you can't return the present if the recipient doesn't like it

I've almost finished mine including food and cards.

I started mine about three weeks ago OP.

We do a combination of saving and buying early. We put money away so we can by things closer to Christmas but if I see the perfect thing for the perfect person a few months early I will buy it and put it away.

I tend to buy cards in the January sales and put them away in the present cupboard.

Glad to see so many Christmas folk around. I love it! :D

I'm doing this, as my salary will decrease from October, and we can pick up things that are on offer now. Have already got DS's presents, am on the hunt for DF's (v specific but difficult to find!), will get gift cards for relatives' children so just need to put money by for those.

I'm expecting DD2 on 30 December so have most of DD1's presents, just in case...

YANBU. I am starting mine next week (after pay day!!) I have been writing lists and working out budgets for the next four pay days so that I can make Christmas lovely for my family without overspending or getting into debt. I absolutely love Christmas and everything that goes with it. We are taking our dd to see Santa for the first time this year as she will be almost 2 and a half so will hopefully be old enough to enjoy the experience. Christmas rules!

Not starting this early, I will not do Christmas until I've put away the summer clothes and started wearing winter boots. However, I do insist on all Internet purchases being done by mid November since the disaster that is known as "the year Amazon ruined Christmas" (about 8 years ago now, the year that everyone realised amazon existed and they couldn't cope with the massive demand, I think it snowed as well, so we only had half the gifts until mid jan).

I do get the "spreading the cost" thing, I'm on mat leave now and I put aside a little from my last two preSMP pay days to cover the costs, hate going into January with a big credit card bill.

Oh and as well I have my dads birthday in October, DHs in November, and DSs in December, so often I generally buy them things and give some for birthday and others hold back for Christmas.

I have started buying for DS and will aim to be done by beginning November. I'm pregnant and due 14th December and there's no way I'm schlepping around the shops with a bored toddler and newborn.

Evening
We will shortly be moving this to our Xmas topic

However, I won't be buying chocolate til the last possible second, since I can never hide it from myself and end up eating it all, several times over

I remember last year people complaining about the celebrations tin shortage last year. So I thought I'd let you all know that Tescos have got tins of Celebrations, Heroes & Roses for £5 now.

I'm usually one of those who leaves it until the last minute to do Christmas shopping, but I have actually started to get a few stocking fillers for the kids.
Mainly because they take so long to fill up and find decent things to go in (as well as all the bits and pieces adding up cost wise!) that I've started to get a few things now as I see them so that there's not as much to get nearer the time.
Not made a start on the main things though!

I feel im spreading the cost as i find things that i know the kids like on offer throughout the year.I have a lot of children i buy gifts for and it can be a bit stressful trying to buy ten kids at different ages a gift in december plus i dont wana just get a generic xmas promo gift for them i want them to know i thought about them.Also i like buying presents,i get more joy buying for than recieving.

YADNBU

I love Christmas and have whispers just finished my Christmas spreadsheet.

Couchpotato I am in awe of your Christmas planning. This year will be our first year hosting both families for Christmas, the lists keep me sane

I have just hHad my m&s points through, so Christmas chops and biccies will be purchased tomorrow.

Way ahead of ya. I make a budget (this is imperative otherwise you can easily overspend).

Christmas decorations and cards bought in January when they are practically giving them away. Presents for people are purchased when what I want is at least 50% off.

I make a picture of the inevitable food waste from the previous year and stick it to the budget and food list for this year (rarely tempted to overspend now).

I store DD's presents (Christmas, advent/stocking and birthday) in a crawl space that is a known spider hang out, DD hates spiders. This onsite present store has come in handy when I've had to get presents at short notice for forgotten birthdays.

I have never understand people bankrupting themselves over Christmas.

Gully I missed the brilliance of the Christmas lay buy so much when we lived in England. Dd's and dn's Christmas is sorted. I've been putting stuff away for the few family and friends I but for for the past couple of months and will start buying alcohol next month (alcohol is MUCH more expensive in Australia than it is in the U.K. MUCH!). That leaves me with money in December for cherries and prawns.

Yanbu. I started in January. I have a cupboard that is slowly filling :)

YANBU. We have done this for a few years now.

For me, the main motivation isn't saving money, but avoiding the rush. I have social anxiety and going to the shops when they are crowded with stressed out shoppers is a guaranteed meltdown for me.

I do a lot of it online although I am going to make more effort to support a local independent toy store this year. But for online stuff, I will try and have it done by December 1 so I'm not worrying about snow, postal strikes etc. I keep wishlists on amazon for present ideas.

The main disadvantage of starting early, for me anyway, has been the risk of overbuying because I see more things that they'd like as the months go by. I have had a huge change in mindset this year though and it will effect Xmas - basically for the last few years we have gone overboard due to guilt (DH injured, me becoming disabled, basically a really shit couple of years) and while our DCs do appreciate and play with their toys, our house is just too cluttered and we are making a big effort to simplify our home, and not have so much Stuff coming in, so we will be more selective.

Although actually we have got their main present already as I found out that playmobil won't be making the pyramid anymore, and DD is fascinated by ancient Egypt. I am also putting together a big craft stuff kit so I will keep an eye out for stuff to put in (eg going to the fabric shop for remnants rather than end up paying over the odds for precut foam shapes in ELC, etc.) - I am quite excited about doing this

So far the DCs don't really ask for anything particular (they don't see adverts on tv as we only use it for DVDs) and we can just choose a few things we know they will love. We don't have a big family so basically they only get gifts from us, DSCs and my parents (but the latter is chosen by us anyway as they don't like choosing).

I don't wrap until December as I found it gets tatty if I do it earlier, and plus I love wrapping on my own with some carols playing etc. But mostly I want December to be free for lazing, cooking, carol services, crafts, walks in the woods collecting pine cones, and our new pre-Xmas tradition of a family trip to the movies and then a pizza lunch (did it with just DSDs and DD last year but now DS is old enough he and DH can come too).

Sorry for waffling