How do you organise present buying if you are in fact organised?

[CloudyVanilla]

Like a lot of people I've started planning Christmas extra early this year.

I really love Christmas but even though I start thinking about it at the end of Aug, I don't do any hard planning.

I have young DC who can't really express what they would want in any meaningful way, and in the past I've usually just sort of picked a day, come up with some idea over the previous weeks and gone shopping.

Problem is, I feel like I'm not shopping thoughtfully enough and I'm focusing more on having the right sized pile or spending the right amount of money.

If you feel like you have a good shopping system, what do you do? Do you have set ideas that you follow like want need wear read? A numerical target to hit in terms of number of presents for each child? You use a spreadsheet??

Do you use a spreadsheet?*

There’s no right or wrong way, and you’ll get lots of different ways of doing it. Personally I keep a list of ideas for each child throughout the year - things they’ve mentioned, things they’ve seen on tv or in a catalogue and specifically asked for, ideas I’ve had myself. And I basically wait for sales and start crossing things off the list, or use it when a relative asks me what they can buy the dc for Christmas.

I try to spend roughly the same on mine, but there’s only 2 years age difference. It would probably be different if one was a teenager and one much younger, for example. I don’t worry too much about the size of the pile as my kids never compare, and under the tree, all the presents are mixed, so it’s not obvious who has more. Once everything is unwrapped, they’re just interested in what they have, not worrying about how much was spent, or who got more.

I get the sentiment behind the ‘one thing they want, one they need, one to wear, one to read’, but it’s better as a guide in my opinion, not something to be strictly followed. I tend to get mine a new set of books anyway, maybe a new onesie or special outfit, but I wouldn’t buy anything just to ‘make up the pile’.

When my teens were younger I planned around the shopping events that shops had - Sainsbury’s up to half price toy sale, Argos 3 for 2, Smyths Toys... (I have no ideas if these are current but I've had lots of good deals from Sainsbury’s ) By 11th November I would have had a look on AliExpress for stuff that can ordered from China. (11.11 is their version of Black Friday)
I buy Christmas pjs over Black Friday weekend. Many retailers will do 10 -25% off
The right size pile is not a consideration at all. If they get a bike/scooter I am mindful of them needing indoor toys
Stationery always goes on sale around the time that schools go back and just after. I bulk buy Sharpies, felt tips etc then

I have spreadsheet I use every year which lists everyone I need to buy for, what I plan to buy and the budget/price. It's on my phone so it goes shopping with me and I update as I go.

DD and DP have their own lists on the same spreadsheet one for presents and one for stockings, which keep a running total so I don't go too OTT.

I've cut back since DD has been a bit older, not on budget but on quantity, this year she wants an expensive tech item so will get very little else except her stocking.

I use an app and a hard copy Christmas planner. From around July I start to think about presents for DS and his stocking. I set a budget for each person I need to buy for and either pick ideas myself or ask. DS is only 3 so he is to young to 'ask' for things for Christmas, I pick what I know he will like. I expect next year at 4.5 he will be able to give us a steer.

Family are usually reluctant to give ideas very far in advance annoyingly but as I am due mid Nov this year they have obliged!

I dont buy more to bulk it out. If I mange to get bargains then I keep the money in the Christmas account for other things or to roll over to next year. Budget for nieces and nephews is £30, got 5 presents for nephew for only £21 and 1 present at full price for niece. I wont spend another £9 to even it up for example.

I have lists on my phone, I buy things throughout the year as I see them and I start ordering properly in about September. This morning I ordered aftershave and book sets for the DSs and have started tracking the price of the 1kg bags of lindor balls (which range from about £30 down to £14 depending on the day).

It sounds like your DC are Preschool or under, in which case I think about what I think they'd like/I've seen them play with at nursery. I am buying less this Christmas as he gets overwhelmed and doesn't appreciate the gifts. I also hide a couple for the 'new toy' factor for a rainy day in January.

Rest of the family I have a set list of who to buy for and collect ideas throughout the year. Back when we could roam freely I got my Gran a mug and tea towel of her favourite artist in a museum gift shop.
I have a big storage box I stash presents in until needed.

I shop all year round - last year I got MIL’s main presents from us on Boxing Day for this Christmas.

I have lists everywhere for everything. I love using the Amazon wish list, throughout the year I just add stuff to it as and when I see it even if I don’t buy it from there, I just remove it and transfer it to my app when I decide that I definitely want to buy it and then mark it as bought when I do. It’s always useful to just be able to send the link to grandparents etc.

When mine were little I’d kind of direct them to what ‘they’ wanted for example if it was a bike I’d plant the idea in their head - oh wouldn’t it be amazing if Father Christmas got you a new bike. Could you imagine on Christmas morning if there was a brand new bike waiting for you etc and then they would decide they wanted a bike . I always budget for a ‘surprise’ gift, as in the one at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon just before Christmas that they decide that they possibly can’t live without surprise gift.

I start early (I'm mostly done for all the kids now). I'm fortunate at the moment that all the kids we buy for are under 5 so I just buy age appropriate gifts without worrying about what they're particularly in to (although for my DD who's 3 ive kept a bit of the budget back so I can buy some character stuff or whatever she's interested in nearer the time. Adults are easy to do in advance, particularly if they're only really token gifts anyway.

I work to a budget (roughly...I keep in mind siblings gifts looking of similar value, frequently come in under budget because of bargains etc). I do think if you're starting early it's important to have something to restrain you, be that a budget or a number of gifts, otherwise I'd just keep buying 😂

Biggest benefit of starting early is that you can get yourself some bargains. I've got god knows how many camel camel camel alerts set up at the moment - happy to pay full price for the items if they don't drop, but since I've got plenty of time then I might as well wait and see if they go any cheaper.

In terms of what I buy, it's a mix of things they've expressed and interest in or I think they might like (eg my DD watches lots of marble run videos on YouTube whilst saying "I wish I could have one of these...") and bargains that I see which I think they'd like.

I use the Santa's Bag app on iOS to keep track of everything.

Thanks for the suggestions! Yes I think for next year I need to buy throughout the year. It is hard though because their tastes at this age seem to change quite quickly, my DD never watched my little pony 3 months ago and now she is obsessed with it and her birthday was largely about MLP! I have made a gift formula now though so there are plenty of things I can buy. I've been writing and re writing lists and budgets for the last week though and it's driving me round the bend!

I don't plan anything (except where we're actually going to be spending Christmas or who we're going to be hosting) until November. Around the beginning of November my side of the family all exchange present ideas lists. Dh deals with his side of the family. I'm always in charge of the dc's presents from me and dh. I buy everything I can online, from mid November onwards. I sometimes get a few of the dc's stocking fillers in the actual shops but that's it.

I love Christmas and I hate the idea of buying presents throughout the year, as I want to wait until I feel nice and pre-Christmassy! My dc are 12 and 15 now, and usually have plenty of things I know they want. When they were littler I'd get them to start thinking about it more in advance so they could come up with ideas.

So I have made a document setting out my gift buying formula including budgets for the DC to use year on year. I've then copied this with a column for each DC (well not the baby) and then I've added a specific type of item underneath. I can then start adding specific items and prices to the list to work out budgeting!

For example part of my stocking formula is:

Soft Toy (£10)
2 knitted Items (£10)

So then for DC I can decide each thing:
Paw patrol plush
Knitted socks
Knitted hat

And now I know what I'm looking for I can then add in specific items and prices plus a tick for whether I have bought it:
Chase beanie baby £8 [ ]
Tesco grey knitted hat £4 [ ]
John Lewis bobbly socks £6 [ ]

I don't think I have missed anything that way and it leaves room to buy whenever and easily shows how much I've spent and have left. Phew I need to finish maternity leave..

@lazylinguist I must say I agree and also j don't have a very big house so with 3 little ones especially when they get bigger the likelihood of something getting found is pretty high. I think as long as I pain ahead and have specific things in mind it's easier. At the moment I just feel absolutely aimless and it makes the shopping feel more hollow than it should because I always end up feeling like I'm buying stuff for the sake of it which slightly dampens the whole thing for me

Yes that's why I absolutely never do Christmas shopping by trawling around the shops (or even the internet) looking for things that people might like. I always decide what I'm going to get each person before I go anywhere near a shop or a website. It's quicker, more efficient and purposeful and it feels like you've got people things they'll definitely want, rather than impulse or panic buying, or adding things just to create a particular-sized pile. Again, except for little stocking fillers (which mostly end up being stationery or chocolate-based!), which I often browse for in the shops.

lazylinguist I'm exactly the same I never go Christmas shopping without a list of what I'm buying, who it's for and the price, the only exception being stocking fillers and the odd thing for DD. I usually pick presents online then hit the shops hard and fast.

I saved money monthly this year (for the first time ever) for Christmas presents.

I spent a couple of hours on Monday making lists of who will get what and going through board games/books/stocking fillers for ds.

I tend to impulse buy though so my list was huge, so I'm giving myself until the weekend to be realistic, ask myself what will actually be used/not used, cross off the impulse buys and then I'll get the full shop done at the weekend.

I also decided for stocking fillers, instead of buying full series of books, just to buy the first book in a few different series, so massive savings there, more variety in the stocking and we get a chance to see what ds likes before buying the whole series.

I save a set amount each month through the year. Create a Christmas tab in my household spreadsheet in autumn, set a budget for each person, food etc, then start making lists and keeping track of what's been spent in the spreadsheet. It's very much budget led, but I do try to equal the same number of presents for each child which has never proved difficult.

Every time I see something I think the dc might like, or they ask for something, i write it on a list on my phone.

Around August/September I identify any large items I want to get secondhand from ebay, as prices start going up after that point. I start to keep an eye out for items I know I will want in sales.

I keep a master list of what is bought and what is wrapped (and i write a code under the flap of wrapped presents which corresponds to my list). I record the dc's gifts next to each other so I am clear they have the same number of gifts and the same amount of immediate use vs delayed gratification gifts.

I have a rough picture in my head of what sorts of things I want - some toys, some books, some craft stuff. I hold back a proportion of the dc's budget for things they ask for in December.

The tricky thing for me is avoiding The Twitch close to Christmas.

I've got a spreadsheet on the go where I'll add anything I think of for present ideas throughout the year so I'm not scratching my head wondering what to buy and if family ask what the DC may like I can easily tell them.

I've got one sheet for the children and one for DH and family members but they essentially do the same thing, the budget is set and then I've got some simple formulas set up so when I buy something I note it down and the price and tells me how much I have left to spend.... it's worked well at keeping me on track in the past!

Mine is easy as no small dc in the household.
I keep a spreadsheet, and in January copy & paste the basic lists, wiping the columns for bought, price, and wrapped. I try to note down anything my relatives/friends mention to add to my spreadsheet through the year. So, I start in January with a reasonable list of options for each person.
I shop throughout January-August as I see things, and update the spreadsheet as I go (a few years of noting the items and the shops to go back to was frustrating!) About now, I do a stocktake. Then I can list what I still want to get, and where from, and have a couple of days where I go out and do the bulk of it while I can still get time off work.
I follow a rough pattern ie my small nieces get a book, sweets/chocolate, something to wear and one largish toy; DH’s many many MANY nieces&nephews get one v similar edible gift (ideally bought on 20 for 30) and £5 in a card. Our siblings get 1 x alcohol + 1 x edible, our parents get sweets, alcohol, pet/garden bird treat, and the surprise thing...
I am definitely getting into a similar system for DSD and her husband, although on a bigger scale. A couple of items will be what they ask for or have mentioned, but I try and roughly match number, overall cost, and items in each category - I doubt they, or anyone else DH notices or cares, but - I DO!
(It goes;
Sweets-sweets
Booze-“
Cheese biscuits-Olives
Chilli sauce-fancy honey
Socks-“
Socks-tights
Socks-hair bands
Pjs - “
Slippers-“
Clothing item-“
Shower stuff-bath stuff
Aftershave-perfume
BBQ kit-pot plant
Book-Magazine
Cycling gadgets-yoga accessories
cookbook-crochet patterns
Kitchen gadget-gardening accessories
Diary-notebook
Stationary-“
Gift card-“
Scratch card-“)

My problem is that in October work goes crazy, so I have to get it all done early, in case it doesn’t happen at all! I’ve started properly shopping this week, working through my list. Then the sweets and booze get bought throughout November in the normal food shops, and goes into the bags I got in January, for family visits in December.
Types the woman who has been wrapping on Christmas morning for the last 3 years, but I do the VAST majority of it this way, and god knows what would happen if I didn’t have a plan

Fascinating thread.

I have 2 Christmas Lists on my phone: one for gifts and one for everything else.

At the top of the gift list are sale dates, good deals etc to watch for.

After that I have each person I buy for, a budget amount, some gift ideas. As I buy, I put a tick against the item (one when I’ve ordered, 2 when it’s delivered) and note the amount and where I got it. When I wrap it I pencil a number on the back left corner and put that in too. I also put the total amount I’ve spent on beside the budget. It sounds wordy written down but it’s basically like this

Sarah £20 £18
✔️✔️Gin £18 M&S 401
Wine?
Likes Gin

Throughout the year I jot notes of present ideas into my list so I can buy all year round. I’m rarely stuck for inspiration. And because it’s on my phone I can quickly check that I’m not over budget or buying twice for the same person.

The dc’s list are split into sections for big gift, other gifts, stocking fillers and suggestions for anyone who asks.

I wrap as I go and hide. The dc’s gifts are in pillow cases similar to their sacks, and the stocking fillers in wine bags similar to the size of the stockings. It gives me a sense of the size of the pile (they’re close in age so I keep this similar). It’s quick to grab them and transfer to the relevant sack/sock on Christmas Eve. But if they find them (they never have) they won’t see what they have and there’s plausible deniability.

When I’m in a toy shop or book shop with the dc and they take a liking for something we take a picture on my phone which cuts out a lot of nagging but also gives me lots of inspiration.

Some things I buy in January - wrapping paper, cards, crackers, Christmas pudding. Charity shops in January are a treasure trove too. It’s not unusual to find pristine gifts and toys in their packaging. March and August are generally good sales times. If you’re signed up to mailing lists you can often get good discounts too. Leaving something in a basket for a while can garner a few % off.

Because I always refer to my list, I’m not buying for the sake of a bargain, but getting what I intended, at a great price and spreading the cost over a longer period.

I note ideas throughout the year and try to end up with 1 big present, 4 mid size themed bags and a stocking for each child. Mine are all teens, and for example one will be having a Fitbit as her main, then will have bags/hampers themed around Nutella, anime, lemons and first aid ( based on current interests). The bags each have a main thing - such as a personalised jar of Nutella, and then a cookbook, socks and cute cup. I find it good fun and it makes the present giving longer lasting. It also makes packing and organising easier as they can have different numbers of presents but will all have 4 bags to open. They do love it, and always try to guess what their themes will be.

I have a list in the notes section of my phone of present ideas for DCs and DH. Throughout the year if I think of something I add it to the list (often along with its usual price so I can quickly check if a spotted item is a good price or not). Once an item is bought I tick it off on the list, and once it's given I remove it. It is a never-ending thing that runs through birthdays and Christmas as they never get everything on the list in one go (the list it too long!). I prune bits off if I think they will outgrow it before the next present-giving event, and also use the ideas as bribes incentives if there is something they need to be motivated to do.
Once an item is on the list I keep an eye out for it and will buy it when I see it on offer. My DCs are 6 and 4yo and I can still get away with second hand often, so I will sometimes trawl FB Marketplace/Ebay (and tabletop sales when they're on) for list items too.

I will also buy and put away bits I see throughout the year which aren't on my list but are the right category, absolute bargains and know they'd love eg £40-odd Sylvanian set for £16 in TKMaxx.
I bought a Where's Wally Xmas jigsaw for DD1 in January for just a couple of pounds, which I know she will be pleased with and be the right age for this December.

DCs are allowed to pick one thing they will definitely get, and need to provide a list of ideas that they may/may not get or get something very similar (usually because I've guessed and bought it months earlier 😉). This decision needs to be in by half term to allow time to source it. looking at you DD2 with last year's request for a pet ladybird

You might get caught with some new interest closer to Xmas that means having to fight your way into the shops and paying full price, but it is manageable for only one or two bits. I haven't yet found their interests have suddenly veered away from anything and I have been left with a stashed present they no longer would like, but as the items bought way in advance are the really bargainous stuff they could easily be added to the 'kids party presents' stash (also made up of items I spotted super cheap at eg Smiggle sale/clearance, TKMaxx etc). At the moment the bits I have already stashed are Playmobil, Sylvanians, Lego, the puzzle, and a LOL pet each. None of which they will have outgrown by xmas.

In terms of what DCs get in relation to each other, at this age I try to match by volume rather than spend as that is what they will notice. There is a rough total budget and it has been largely split evenly the last couple of years. I buy a couple of matching/complimentary things for each (eg Lego set each this year or last year they had matching fairy gardens) but otherwise it is based on individual interests.

When I read threads like this I am so pleased we are only: DH, DS, DD, MIL, Mother and Step.

I use a spreadsheet, and I can keep tabs on what I've bought, I buy things all year round as I tend to just get something if I think it's perfect for a particular person.