Why would you start planning Christmas this early?

[mintchocchick]

Convince me!

I'm itching to get going but have a personal rule that I don't start anything related to Christmas until after half term holidays - no web searching, certainly no shopping, no discussions/thoughts about food or present ideas!

Can't for the life of me think why I created this rule but it's been in my head for 13 yrs ever since having children. I think I didn't want my whole autumn to be consumed by Christmas. But I love Christmas, it's such an excitement and despite my kids being 13 and 8, I have loads of rituals that they love/talk about, appreciate and they really get into the whole thing.

Waiting till Nov is one of my rituals - shall I scrap it and start now? Why do you start this early? Does the excitement wear off by December? Are you exhausted with it all by then?

Cos it is all left to me to think plan buy pack and give and it is a lot of work . I also really love doing it hehe!

It's easier to pick up bargains as they crop up. It also spreads the cost over a few months if you want it to.

We're also forced to do ours by whatever date we're seeing family or have to pay postage for our wrapped presents. This year, for my family, that's the last weekend of November. For Dh's family I expect it could be the October half term.

It also gives me more time to think about gifts and I don't end up just buying something because I only have one day to buy my shopping. I make some presents so I need time to allow for that.

I'm organised anyway so it feels like another job ticked off the to-do list.

I'm then free in December to ignore the heaving shops and just do Xmas stuff instead - baking mince pies with the dc, go to Xmas fairs, Dh is taking them to a panto while I put together the Xmas eve hamper.

I do it for lots of reasons.

cost being the biggest. We get paid monthly and have only 2 paychecks before Christmas. I cannot afford to pay for it all out of one pay.

I like having time to get something thoughtful and something the recipient will really enjoy, not just any old thing I grabbed because I ran out of time.

Having all the shopping done by December frees up loads if time to enjoy the season. Making decorations with the dc, walks through town with all the atmosphere but none of the stress, going to see the lights being turned on, Christmas markets, going out for hot chocolate, baking, trip to see Santa. Don't have to spend any time rushing around.

and finally, I love being organized. I actually get a weird buzz from it!

I'm due DS2 on December 11th and I'm already suffering with SPD. I can only imagine it's going to get worse. My husband is going to join his paternity leave up with some annual leave and have just over a month off so I'm looking forward to having all presents bought well in advance this year so I can spend some good quality family festive time when hubby is home, doing crafty and baking things and festive visits with DS1 and having lots of cuddles with our new addition. I can't wait this year. Much as I love Christmas I've never been so organised as I have this year and now that I realise some of the bargains that you can get so early on without the stress and spreading the cost, I think I'll probably start early next year too.

I've been able to get the presents I have with good discounts, so far () I've spent £200 and have a good £450 worth of gifts. There's no way we can affordto spend that amount in December so I spend roughly £15 weekly and an extra £50 after pay day.

My youngest is easy to buy for as he's only 20 months so will love whatever he gets and my eldest is very sure on what he wants so it's easier.

I really do hate the rage that is evoked by some during Christmas shopping in December, I'd rather be baking and doing fun things with the DC. Although I always said I wouldn't do anything Christmassy until after my late November birthday, but I'm totally a Christmas shopping in July person in reality

I don't have much family to buy for (dh, ds, and my mum and dad - dh does his parents and his nieces/nephews only want vouchers), so very little shopping to do. I don't start till December.

The kids dont tend to change their minds, but I have the advantage that there are a lot of family birthdays at the beginning of the year, so if I overbuy, I am partly ready for birthdays. I tend to do it in fits and bursts. So though I start early, doest mean in my case that I am all done by Dec 1. Only had one year where everything was done 5 days before. And then, yes, it did ruin part of the excitement for me.

Last year a got a bit carried away with the bargains thread and got ds his presents (highly discounted!) In September and October. It turned out that he totally got into animals and elephants in particular in a very obsessive way and the lovely garage and train set were left in the cupboard and shopping had to be done all over again. same with dd - she made a list in December and nothing of what I had already bought was in it....

I'm definitely leaving buying the dc presents until December this year.

I buy the stocking gifts now because they are IMO the most difficult.
Saves me dashing round panick buying .

Today I bought DD a lipbalm and eyeshadow compact from Superdrugs.
I was looking at some big bags for their stocking gifts but none of them grabbed me and said "BUY ME"

But I got a runner for the table

i have plenty of time for bargain hunting. i am on a low income and 4 dc's ranging from 7-15 years, plus other family and friends. i can make my budget stretch further by buying bargains and also spread the coast over a longer period of time. it is essential to me.

For me, it's something I have always enjoyed. DH thinks I'm mental.

Reading the new Christmas catalogues (Boots is just out!) brings me great joy.

I buy stocking fillers throughout the year without really thinking about it and get a lot from the Book People.

Also , like other posters, I like December to be as stress free as possible so I can enjoy all the other bits of Christmas.....like reading the Christmas Radio Times ALONE with a large mince pie smothered in cream

I'm like you OP and don't start until after half term.

That still gives you time to do the shopping in November and keep December free(ish) for other stuff. I do find that Christmas expands to fit the time available and the earlier I start the more time I spend stressing about it. I've got a friend who starts in September and often ends up spending more overall as she forgets what she's bought

In terms of spreading the cost, there is nothing to stop you putting some money aside now without actually hitting the shops!

My mil starts asking what we all want in August so I have a list which gets added to all year for ideas. Trawling round shops with 2DC is my idea of hell, in December especially, so I try to shop online and that always seems better early - but November is fine. My birthday is early December and I refuse to have any decs or cards up before the following weekend, then DDs birthday is just after Xmas so they all come down by then plus it means having to get presents for her birthday too, particularly if she wants something specific. But at the moment it changes daily so mil can have my ideas so far and I will hold on for a bit.

I try to think of things people will really like so it can take time. We also make things from the DC and that's best started early. Spreading cost is less of an issue as I put a bit by each month so it gets spent when needed. Having had to work over Christmas for many years I'm trying to create some new traditions but its not something that comes naturally. Working in retail does change your festive attitude somewhat

I have both the dc birthdays in November so in September I write a xmas list and a birthday list for each of them. Then I buy the things off the lists as and when they go on offer.

My two are 6 and 3, so no real worry about them changing their mind.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to spend a December weekend inside a shop. That is my idea of hell. I also can't understand why anyone would risk things selling out or being delivered late.

dd1 started school last year and I realised how little time we now had to spend doing christmassy things. I wouldn't want to waste my weekends in the shops when I could be doing fun things with the her and dd2.

So I think the crazy ones are the people who spend December fighting through traffic and crowds. I smile as I see the queues of traffic lining up to park inside the local shopping centre in December knowing I don't have to get involved with any of that.

I do it because I hate crowded shopping Malls in December. Starting early means I can wander around at my leisure and take my time choosing stuff.

I also start adding one item of treaty food like big tins of chocolates/biscuits etc to the food shop about every other week. By Xmas we have enough to sink a battleship

The trick to starting early is to stick to your lists. Know the bargain prices so you can grab them when they come up and to write down what you have bought.

I could save the money each month but then I would miss the offers when they come up and then end up buying at full price

Amazon has had lego with roughly a 1/3 off this week. I bought a couple of boxes at their lowest ever price. It would have been foolish not to buy them when those particular boxes were on dd1's list.

By moonlight has it spot on. I went through what I had already bought this morning and I have €190 worth of presents that I only paid €46 for. I would have had to save nearly 200 quid to buy these in December, but I bought them gradually and didn't notice the money going.

I always start early. It started when my dd1 was born in nov and i'd set out to be ready by then so i could focus on the baby. That year it made xmas so fab i carried on.

Getting everything done early and spreading the costs means i can focus on advent where we do lots of crafts, days out and just enjoy feeling christmassy. It makes it more like the christmases when you were a kid, kust enjoying the food, the lights, the cosiness, the anticipation.

Love Christmas me.

usually i do it all in december,i just get everything online,i dont go into real shops at all really,i dont know why anyone does!

I am due december 19th this yr though,dc5,so want to get it all done by the end of november really so i can start nesting!

My side of the family really enjoy finding personal, unusual presents for each other - this usually means second-hand or old things, and that takes time! Ebay selling prices get higher in December and chances are if I leave it I don't find what I want. Also great excuse for trawling antiques fairs!

Because i have saved a fucking fortune buying and planning this early

Spreading of the cost mostly and also you dont feel stressed trying to get everything done in dec I got 2 months worth of meat last week from the market and as it was over 25 pounds I got a free chicken which will be used for christmas day

I can't stand the shops being so busy in December, and I rather be busy seeing people and going to parties in Dec so it makes sense to do the shopping early, and it spreads the cost too

If you are on a tight budget or are going to buy lots of toys/ gifts it makes sense to start early as there are big savings to be had and it is possible to return things if necessary.

I started early last year but closer to half term and missed some bargains that were on their list (they did come up again in dec but at that point you have to be quick as things sell out really fast) I prob did get too much but then kept some things back for birthdays so it was fine. I wasnt sick of christmas by December because it feels more like bargain hunting than christmas shopping. As every one else has said it makes christmas more fun/traditional as there is time for baking, making wreaths etc. Obviously some people do the traditional aspect and leave out all the toys!

One good thing is that you might buy them a couple of bargain surprises that they wouldnt have though of as given their ages I imagine they will be quite specific with their requests? The other thing is if parcels arrive in dribs and drabs over the next few weeks they are less likely to notice them!

I honestly didn't realise things were less at this time of year, or more in December! I just thought about it from a budgeting point of view, but I've now seen the bargain thread with hundreds of ideas in - amazing!

I'm going to enjoy starting my list this weekend! Thanks.

Alone will be wonderful not to have the stress of dashing to post office in December to collect parcels that postie didn't deliver that need me to gift wrap and re-send somewhere - that I do find stressful