To be delighted about what I have spent so far 😅

[Positivenancy]

Feeling quite delighted to have most of the dc’s shopping done and under €500 so far! I can tend to go crazy at Christmas 😬

I have spent €436 so far. And I have bought

DD11
Jumper
Nike leggings
Sephora goodies -bath bombs, lip gloss, hair oil, travel containers.
Initialled Glass cup
Small panda bag for accessories
Panda Teddy
Sanitary wear bag
Slushy maker
New York jigsaw
Eiffel Tower puzzle
Socks
MGA miniverse set
Full length Mirror for her bedroom
clothes rail for her bedroom
Small panda ornament
Panda hair towel
Panda face mitt
Nintendo sports game
Nintendo sports accessory pack

DS9
Hoody
Lion teddy
Elephant teddy
Football pen Holder
Vbucks voucher
Fidget popper game
Darts board

I still have a good bit to get for DS though he is getting a PlayStation (second hand) and a game and couple of Lego sets.

DD is pretty much done I might pop into primark and get some baskets for the bottom shelf of the clothes rail and pjs etc

Have you totalled your spend so far?

I've spent about £800 but I have done 3dcs stockings their main gifts and lots for under tree.

I have the task.of sorting through it this week and listing what's to get.

Young adult dc will go to town with me and choose what they want they have £500 and I still do a stocking, alcohol, snacks etc usually

I have got my DM ,
Know what I'm getting ILS
Just sister to buy for

Dh and I don't tend to buy for each other as there's nothing we ever need or want. We do a stocking of favourite fragrances, bath stuff and foods

A guitar, I think also a chocolate orange, and tickets to a gig.

This year he’s getting a fancy cheese advent calendar (yes, who says it’s all about Xmas day), and book vouchers probably.

if he needs stuff I buy on an as-needed basis, or as a just-because treat randomly whenever in the year.

when he was little he’d get one thing (think bike one year, PlayStation another year), and 2 smaller things (for example, a book and a fancy pencil case). I tend to buy quality rather than quantity. Things last a lot longer and are looked after better.

Ah, please can I be the first to admit I do actually buy a load of plastic shit tat? Unfortunately my DC seem to like it.

It's ok, you don't have to. That's between two children and a good amount of presents that her children will use and enjoy.

YABU

It’s the middle of October/no one cares what you spend.

Apart from the guitar and gig tickets, That's a fair bit of pointless tat?

And buying things through the year? Why are you constantly buying tat?

My dc look after their stuff. As I said in my opinion it’s not tat…just thoughtful gifts. It’s funny because last Christmas I got DD concert tickets as her main gift and this year DS is getting a PlayStation. Much the same 😉

I know you’re not talking to me, but I had the same thought, so I’ll stick my two bob in.

It’s rude partly because someone will have spent their hard earned cash on some clothing and for him to not recognise that is a gift is rude. It’s not his fault because he is a child and depends on the adults around him to teach him to be thankful for what he gets.

It’s also quite rude because there are an awful lot of people who have to buy coats, shoes, etc as gifts because they don’t have the money to buy them and toys etc. It’s great that you don’t have to do that, but perhaps a little bit of thought about how you word things (ie, implying that these things are not gifts) would go a long way.

Gosh how boring. I’d hate to have been raised in your house @CortieTat

What do you get your 77 year old parents who have everything they need? Tickets for Elkie Brooks in February? They’ll be made up.

🎶“Pearls a siiingerrr, she stands up when she plays the piaaaaano, in a nightclub”🎶

Thanks. I’m looking at Six bits on Temu so will check them out x

@Sugarcoldturkey we do want, need, wear, read, scrooges 😂

Enjoy your perfect Christmas with perfect gifts for everyone whilst my family sit there disappointed.

@Whothefuckdoesthat i may be projecting as when I was a kid I’d get jumpers and clothing for gifts often and hated it as those things were stuff I should have anyway and if I do have enough of the additional gifts are ‘unnecessary’ and I’d rather have gotten chocolates, toys and other fun things. So u e made it a point that in our house hold necessities, clothes etc aren’t considered gifts especially for occasions like Xmas or birthdays.

That’s nice, but I’m struggling to see how you feel you have the moral high ground over the OP. They’ve got clothes, bedroom furnishings, consumables and a few bits to play with. How is the DD’s jigsaw and bath stuff any different from a fancy pencil case and a chocolate orange?

Well done OP! I’m very impressed with your organisation. Every year I tell myself I’m going to start early and every year if I’ve bought a single present by mid-November I’m doing well. One thing I did start doing a couple of years ago is saving £100 a month into a dedicated Christmas savings account. Then when November/December rolls round I have a good budget to spend.

I need ideas for my DS who is 8.5. He can never think of much he wants. So far he’s asked for a new game for his Switch, new audiobooks for his player, and new Jellycats (he has a ridiculously large collection). Nothing very large. Last year we got tickets to an experience as part of his present and I might look for something else again this year.

He’s very easy to buy stocking fillers for, but I do laugh at these threads when people get very het up about “appropriate“ gifts. I think your sanitary purse sounds like a completely fine stocking filler. Anything goes really in our household, that’s the way DH and I were both brought up. Stockings ALWAYS have pants and socks in them, and lots of what some might consider essentials like bubble bath and shower gel. Lots of edibles too, tube of sweets, a selection box, chocolate coins, sometimes I might wrap up a tube of Pringles. Stockings are about the excitement of having lots to open!

Personally, when I see people leaving shops with Christmas wrapping, I roll my eyes.

Haven't you got anything else to do?

You think because they're buying wrapping that they only wrap stuff? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

So many clowns on here.

You probably do things that other people think is pointless/boring as shit.

Huh?

Get those eyes rolling 😂 I’m that person! Organisation is key 🙌

@JeanLundegaard I'm working over Christ so it will not need to be perfect for me!

But Ellie Brooks tickets for adults is a good gift ... didn't know she was still alive!

@Jellybeanbag

Of course they'll have other stuff to do, but most people are able to do a variety of things in a day. How stupid to presume they don't have other things to do. If you see someone going for a run, do you presume they also don't work, pick up kids from school, shop, watch tv. Fucking bizarre.

Oh my goodness this thread is quite the read. I think there are two camps of people. Those that wait til December to buy one thing which is "THE" thing (to them), or those (including me) that are oober organised and start shopping in September (or earlier) and buy quite a lot more but whilst saving considerable amount of money and feeling rather proud...all with the goal of chilling out an enjoying the festive period from a safe distance from the car crash carnage of the high street/prime day cash exploitation.

Well done OP on your organisation, I will join you with my feet up in November with a glass of something 🍷 I'm sure your kids will be thrilled with their hall of gifts (which aren't tat imo)

Get those eyes rolling 😂 I’m that person! Organisation is key 🙌

🤣