If you regularly leave all your Christmas shopping till the last minute - why?

[hunkermunker]

Did you not realise when it was or something?

1 - because I am dis-organised
2 - because I feel if I buy presents too early the recipient may buy it for themselves before christmas anyway
3 - because christmas is in december and it feels 'wrong' to be shopping for it in August.
4 - because I always think I am going to make presents for people...then don't and have to buy something
5 - because I always think the Christmas Craft Fairs will provide presents...but they don't.

I get a bit narked when someone tells me they have done all their Christmas shopping by mid September or whenever in a condescending way, as if I am deliberately disorganised and scatty.

Like someone said above, it is not a military campaign! It's shopping for crying out loud!

yeah money is a factor as well. Never have any spare so I tend to buy some presents in November with the rest in December (i.e. when I have to). I know clever people buy in Jan sales, but never have any spare then.

5.55 on Christmas Eve that is.

I beg to differ! It is a military campaign

lol at Ormirian's blank video tapes. Bless him

Can I just clarify that I'm not calling now last minute.

Just pondering, really

Also not having a go at anyone who's not one all their shopping and got the sprouts on already (although mine have been on since September, so they'll be properly cooked for 25th Dec).

The only thing I get in a state about is food shopping. I always miss the home delivery slots and fret that I will forget something.

I am one of those people in the shops that pushes a trolley full of food as if for an arctic exploration campaign. I kind of forget that (a) I don't need more than 1 jar of cranberry sauce (b) 8 different types of christmassy cheese is excessive (c) food shops are only closed for 2 days and we won't starve

I labour under the absurd delusion that doing it at the last minute is more Christmassy somehow...

Although actually am quite organised this year but it's only us for Christmas and we're not going anywhere so it all seems very easy.

Haven't done anything about New Year's Eve yet though which is a shame as we are meant to be having a party... oh dear...

one persons last minute maybe another persons early though.
xmas eve IS last minute, the weekend before xmas is quite late (if it is all of it rather than a few bits), but before that isn't last minute to me.
Having it ALL done before December seems wierd as does starting before November.
Each to their own!

at having the sprouts on since September.

partly because i do find if i sort out presents too early, i get nervous about them and end up getting another lot. Which i definitely can't afford. I only occasionally get presents exactly right so I am usually right to be nervous about them tbh.

Otherwise, what tigana said (particular LOL about being sure that this year you're going to make ALL your presents - i keep thinking that!)

pmsl - 'did you not realise when it was or something'

I don't leave it to the last minute but can't understand the stress about present buying unless it's due to financial reasons of course. I do all my shopping online and find it quite enjoyable choosing presents for people rather than a chore. Of course my lo's aren't old enough yet to get into anything I have to kill people to get but thanks to mn when they do i'll know to buy it in July!

Because there are bills to pay as usual and they are priority. I want to be organised by every year I am as broke as the last.

Because there's too much choice and I can't decide what to buy.

I dosome Christmas Shopping in November but most of it in December. Partly because I don't want to do it before then and partly because my children never know what they want. DD2 is 18 on the 9th December and oonkly told us last week that she would like an ipod for her birthday, She still has not told me what she wants for her main Christmas present. I know she doesn't want money.

is NOW the last minute?
or noon on Christmas eve?

Am just starting mine, plenty of time since we do not want a Nintendo anything!

I would prefer to be all perfect and organised like DP's cousin who starts buying all her xmas, birthday and anniversary pressies in the january sales and spreads the cost evenly over 12 months so she never feels the pinch.
BUT I don't have the room in my poxy little rabbit hutch of a house to store that much crap for other people so it's last minute all the way for every occasion!

I had an operation on my leg last week. I'm off my feet right up to Christmas.

So.

Apart from food / drink i got all my stuff bought early.

I wouldn't normally buy everything this early though as it just doesn't feel Christmassy enough.

By now i'd normally have a few bits but it has been a bit weird getting all stuff done.

At least it's only for one year!

And i'll have to send Dh with a list for food / nibblies etc for Christmas.

Thank goodness he's good at that sort of thing!

Cos we never have the cash so we just put it off!!

I am a last minute Christmas shopper and I have four children. I normally think about christmas shopping on the last weekend before Christmas and will do my food shopping then too. The day before Christmas eve we put up the tree and decorate it. Christmas eve is spent making mince pies, listening to the Nine lessons and carols from King's College, wrapping presents and having shepherd's pie and frozen peas for supper.

what's the definition of last minute?