If you are not starting your Christmas shopping already, how do you do it?

[WaltonOnNaze]

I always start my shopping in the post Christmas sales and have just done an audit and have at least half the stocking stuff now from that. I have three kids so need lots of sticking fillers, plus two of them have December birthdays. I also need to give their GPs a list of ideas. I am just wondering if this is not you - and my friends take the mickey out of me so I know I am the odd one - how do you do it? Do you get in a panic come Nov/Dec then go to the shops and do it all in one day? I don't know I would find a stocking full of stuff for each kid if I had the pressure of doing it in a short amount of time.

Two months is plenty of time to shop for a bit of stocking tat.

I used to do my shopping like you in the January sales but it didn't work out that way this year and I got it done in a day. I was very lucky to get the things I wanted but have been really surprised how easy it was. I think I'll be doing it this way anymore even if it take a couple of days more.

I usually start shopping around 1st December each year.

I'm assuming you probably have quite young children? The older they get I find their interest becomes far more specific and what they like in January can be very different to what they are into by the December.

I start properly in June and get teased for it too. Always overbuy even then though so I'm thinking I might wait until September this year instead of just saving some for birthdays early in the year.

My children's interests change so much within a year I wouldn't dare start now. I don't buy much tat though and anything cheap and cheerful is usually tailored to their interests. I start in October/November.

I wait until I know what people want... even 3 months ahead there's a risk they get the item beforehand....

When DC were little I would buy things that they liked and were suited to their ability eg what books I bought would depend on their reading ability. So would buy much closer to Christmas. Their likes and abilities would change so much in a year. They also did a wish list to Santa so would be silly to buy before they had written that and they wouldn’t be writing that in January. Now teens you also have to buy closer to the time too.

Four kids and started about the second week of December this year. Not doing that again! I had bought some nice bits in the m&s and accessories sale, so just need to squirrel them away, find them just after I have rebrought everything so I pay double. That's more how I roll, unfortunately.

Resolution is to use my Christmas planning app this year.

I don't even start thinking a out it until the beginning of December. 3 teens. Get all their presents online, mostly from Amazon or whatever clothes place they're into and then chocolate and toiletries etc for the stockings at the supermarket.

Did you ask your friends what they do?

I start looking September time, by stuff online in good time. Not really any rush, panic or problem. Couldn't be doing thinking about the next Christmas straight after the first, that, to me, would be just too much consumer buy buy buy.

After the nightmare of waiting for parcels this year I will 100% start properly October half term.

I've have got one or two items in sales for DF as I know they are things he would like next year.

For youngest DS I keep an eye out from Summer usually but oldest will buy later.

This year because I can especially after July I’ll be buying as I go along.

Start late Oct, plenty of time to finish early December.

My DC are of an age where buying stocking fillers and other presents now wouldn't work, their tastes and interests change - and are quite specific - so it's far too early to buy now.

Essentially you're wasting money or gwying people half arsed gifts doing it this far out. It's not a panic to do it in November, you need to gain some perspective.

I used to buy in January and then I stopped as their interests changed so much.

What I do, and have done this year is buy the generic sticking fillers - we just use these for little Christmas things to keep them in bed longer. Will add some sweets and fruit on Christmas Eve. As my kids are still young - they will be 8 and 4 next Christmas, it’s fine. However, I won’t be buying their main and other presents until after October half term. I’ll get them to write their letters and use that to guide me.

I also do a secret Santa for my family as we have so many people. This makes it cost effective for everyone.

I've never understood how you can know what people will want this far in advance, even adults? So I assume that very early shoppers are buying generic stuff in the sales rather than specific gifts for specific people?

I do most of my shopping in Nov online, it's plenty of time.

How is it wasting money or half arsed? I shop throughout the year and put as much thought into it as people who buy in December. Or should I start writing off their way of doing it as "late, rushed and poorly planned"? No, because different to me doesn't mean wrong.

My DD, for example, loves art, reading, feminism, French culture. I pick up books as I see them and art supplies I know she will use. How is that half arsed or wasting money?

The "kids" are 20/22 now, so we have stocking traditions. Xmas socks, bedsocks, chocolate lollipop santa, lindt reindeer, hot chocolate spoon/bomb, bookmark. So I look for those throughout the year. But their present... I ask in November, buy at start of December.

I usually start properly in July/August, but I. terms of stocking fillers I buy throughout the year.

When I was growing up I always got knickers socks, nice toiletries, a book, etc so I've carried this tradition on with DD. She's only 6 so I know I'm fairly safe with things like I had growing up as well as colouring books, stationery, hair accessories and so on.

Adding a couple of items in with the weekly shop from late summer lessens the financial impact come December, but if I saw something that I thought she'd like I'd buy it whenever.

We save for Christmas throughout the year so there's always money there in case we spot the perfect gift for someone. Ours is always bought and wrapped up by the end of November ready to distribute when we see family and friends in December.

I restock our cards, wrapping paper and Christmas crackers in the January sales and add to the decorations if I spot anything I really like - I picked up a couple of lovely Christmas throws on Christmas Eve, they were reduced to £10 (were £20) so I bought the last few ready for next year. I really liked them, but would have been a bit 😳 at spending £60 on them, whereas £30 felt like a bargain.

I buy wrapping paper, crackers and this year some new tinsel and lights. Our lights died on 27th and the tinsel looked shabby. That is all now packed away with all
The decorations, ready for next year. I don't have a start date but buy little bits throughout the year. Some gets used for their birthdays, other bits gets kept for Christmas.
I have the issue of how I give one child a Santa present that finally arrived on the 28th. I had ordered it in November but didn't arrive on time.
I'm thinking I might wrap it and put it in the garden, saying it must have fallen from the sleigh. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Nope. Quite the opposite. I know the people for whom I am buying so know what they like. I might leave the main gift until nearer the time but of course I'm going to buy books as I see them (only buy books second hand) or vintage/charity shop clothes I know DD will love or a board game that will make the perfect boxing day activity. My mother starts her knitting and crocheting now as well as she has so many to make for. It's not generic at all, she puts a lot of thought and time into the gifts she makes.

@ShowOfHands how do you know she won't buy the books herself in the next 11 months? If it's a topic she's interested in there's a good chance she will, or someone else will buy for her birthday etc. Or a new perfect one by her favourite author won't come out in October? Or she won't ask you for something specific she needs much nearer the time?

This.

If you start now, you're just buying for the sake of buying. What a waste!

Because we have a shared document with books on it she wants. It currently has 167 books on it and we edit it as and when either of us finds a book she wants. I do it on my phone while still in the shop in fact. Sometimes I give them to her immediately, sometimes I put them away. Depends on the book or the size of her to-be-read pile. She has hundreds of books so people always ask her before buying her books.

And as I said above, main presents I usually leave until nearer the time. This year she didn't want anything specific and said she'd prefer books. She almost never asks for anything specific tbh. Over the year, I buy stocking stuff and small gifts and then choose a main gift in November. We don't spend much on Christmas really so maybe that helps. If she was asking for ££ items in December, maybe I'd feel differently.