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Christmas

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Original poster

Sooo......last minute shoppers....why?

139 replies

McManus1 · 23/12/2023 19:06

It's Christmas.....you have known about it for a year, why are you ordering gifts last minute or food on Christmas eve?

Genuine wonder.

OP posts:
Itssnotunusual · 23/12/2023 20:01

I'm a single working and studying parent who struggles for time! And taking a 2 year old Christmas shopping is my idea of hell. I'm quite proud of managed it before Christmas eve though, I will be doing the remainder of my wrapping tomorrow as everyone I've bought gifts for I will see on Xmas day.

sobeyondthehills · 23/12/2023 20:05

McManus1 · 23/12/2023 19:06

It's Christmas.....you have known about it for a year, why are you ordering gifts last minute or food on Christmas eve?

Genuine wonder.

Because my dad died and I had to arrange his funeral, wasnt in the mood to sort Christmas as well

Amrythings · 23/12/2023 20:05

Because its almost impossible to get out of DD what she wants for Christmas until she is threatened with being put in the shed. So she finally coughed up some ideas, we made a plan, and I went and blitzed the town in under an hour today because between work and stuff for the younger kids that was my first chance.

(I mean, I do get it, there must have been some extremely incoherent shopping being done today because when I went into JD Sports and asked for the specific shoes in colour and size the poor kid looked like I'd hit him with a brick.)

OhpoorMe · 23/12/2023 20:06

Do you feel you have a healthy work/life balance or needs changing?

None at all which is just how I like it - I love my job!

Smartiepants79 · 23/12/2023 20:08

I didn’t finish work til yesterday. It’s been a very busy three months with many other things needing organising and paying for. I’ve struggled to know what I want to buy.
Why does it matter to you?

Whatdidicomeupfor · 23/12/2023 20:08

@FormerlyPathologicallyHappy sorry for your loss.

I leave it late because that's how I roll.

Maddy70 · 23/12/2023 20:09

Because i want to feel chrismassy when i shop i dont feel that in November

Original poster
McManus1 · 23/12/2023 20:09

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 23/12/2023 19:36

Because dh died 12 months ago and it’s hard for me.

Sorry for the loss

OP posts:
Original poster
McManus1 · 23/12/2023 20:09

sobeyondthehills · 23/12/2023 20:05

Because my dad died and I had to arrange his funeral, wasnt in the mood to sort Christmas as well

Show quote history

Sorry for your loss

OP posts:
InflatableSanta · 23/12/2023 20:10

I'm normally organised and have everything in advance but have just had some bonkers weeks at work combined with a car crash and illness and I had no headspace for Christmas

fatandhappy47 · 23/12/2023 20:10

Money is tight and I had to wait till I got paid

brawnthesheep · 23/12/2023 20:10

It matters to those who have to work because the customer demand is there rather than them having family time I guess.

Most people have to work though…

WhamBamThankU · 23/12/2023 20:11

Supermarkets here were dead today, as were the roads and town centre.

AnneValentine · 23/12/2023 20:12

McManus1 · 23/12/2023 19:41

That's a non answer. I'm non the wiser

Because they cannot afford it. Living on the breadline. There’s literally a dozen reasons which you would know about if you had a grain of empathy.

writingsonthewall · 23/12/2023 20:12

Not sure if anyone has said this already but it's surely just because of different personalities.

Like with homework, some do it as soon as they get it, some wait til the night before it's due in.

brawnthesheep · 23/12/2023 20:13

I collected my food order yesterday but preordered it weeks ago, not sure why that’s bad?

Need to get some more bread today because I underestimated how much my dc would eat this week.

brawnthesheep · 23/12/2023 20:13

tmw not today!

brawnthesheep · 23/12/2023 20:14

Some people will be waiting for payday & some will want to finish work. Some will like to leave stuff to the last minute. What difference does it make?

Ecnerual · 23/12/2023 20:22

I have young children and zero extra capacity to do anything. I had planned to use this last week to sort Christmas stuff (and decompress) while youngest had settling in sessions at nursery but then middle child was very unwell and off school. So instead that week ended up being filled with extra worry, additional trips out to the GP, phoning around pharmacies to find somewhere with her prescription in stock, extra laundry, extra snuggles with a sick child, and no time or energy to sort out Christmas stuff.

We've also just driven for five hours to see family over Christmas, gifts for family wouldn't fit in our car (unless we left the children behind) so we will be doing our last bits of Christmas shopping tomorrow.

I am so tired, too tired to be as organised as I used to be.

CandyLeBonBon · 23/12/2023 20:22

Because if I buy stuff too early (groceries) it gets eaten/drunk and I have to rebuy (eldest has adhd/asd and has a midnight fridge-raid habit).

Also storage. It's a pain.
Also I got paid on 21st so that's when I did my main grocery shop plus a few last minute stocking fillers.

Who cares though? If it works it works!

MilaSov · 23/12/2023 20:28

If I have known for a year that there will be Christmas, this does not mean that I have to prepare for it for a year)) Christmas should be easy, and preparing for it should be easy

KateyCuckoo · 23/12/2023 20:31

McManus1 · 23/12/2023 19:49

It matters to those who have to work because the customer demand is there rather than them having family time I guess.

Show quote history

I think people in retail are fully aware Christmas is busy! If they don't like it they need a change of career. I worked for Woolworths for 12 years, it can be great fun around Christmas.

Lots of other jobs work just as hard around Christmas time, even on Christmas day. My dh is a police officer, that's life!

Whattheheckcarer · 23/12/2023 20:33

McManus1 · 23/12/2023 19:06

It's Christmas.....you have known about it for a year, why are you ordering gifts last minute or food on Christmas eve?

Genuine wonder.

Genuine wonder that it wouldn't cross your mind that some people have to save up or don't have space.

Correlation · 23/12/2023 20:33

Why does it need to be done any earlier? I know about Christmas next year too, and I haven't started on that either.

grumpycow1 · 23/12/2023 20:34

Booked my Christmas delivery slot ages ago but when it arrived there were missing items. Haven’t got a car so it has to be the delivery route.

last minute people to buy for as they gave us stuff, seeing them unexpectedly.

save some of the expense for December payday when i get a bonus.

not for you to judge!