I honestly feel depressed/defeated by premature Christmas stuff (apart from cooking, of course)

[eekamoose]

Bil and Sil have phoned us tonight asking for Christmas present ideas. They are going Christmas shopping this week on Thursday. I feel rage in my blood and I can't quite explain why. Ok, well, perhaps I can: in my world, Christmas should not be a factor until December. However, being diplomatic by nature and aware that I do not live in a little bubble which is just me and my immediate family, am prepared to compromise and understand that some people like to plan a long way ahead, and so maybe Christmas can be mentioned in November.

But mid-way through October??????? No way!!!!!

I actually love Christmas and am in no way a scrooge or bah-humbug. But surely the point is that it is a special one or two or three days? Not three farking months of the year!

Harrrrrruuuuuummmmmmmpppppppphhhhhhh.

That's all well and good but for some of us, planning is the only way we're going to manage to get through to the other side of it at least in a financial sense

yes, lm and mmj - in which case put a budgeted amount aside to SPEND NEARER THE TIME!

totally with you on this eekamoose

Some people are having babies, and want to get everything ready and out of the way!
Also... shops in December are hell on earth- I can't stand shopping when everything is so crazy and full- makes me ill.

yeah ok but then, what if, like this year, that has to pay insurance excess for fridge freezer & cooker due to flood & oh loses his job? I have managed to cut down on everything but we can't live on fresh air to pay for xmas so it has to be bits and pieces picked up out of little bits we have spare every now and again

Some people lead very dull lives and need to have something to keep them occupied for three months.

Don't mind the people that are just saving money up now or buying some bargains early - but the ones who make 50,000 individually crafted cards and 20 million perfect fruit cakes need serious therapy.

Money aside?? I should coco .. If I leave it lying around too long it'll get swallowed by another bill.

In general, I couldn't agree with you more. However, I often do Christmas shopping in October too because quite a number of outlets do their last sizeable discounts in mid-October (e.g. I have just bought DD's Xmas present at GBP40 instead of GBP95).

Well said Sober

I agree, very well said Sobernow

I sort of agree with you in that I'd prefer Christmas to stay in December. But I exempt present buying as well as cooking from this or I'd go mad.

My DN lives in New Zealand and as well as Christmas her birthday is 5/1. So if I don't get my act together and her parcel posted by 1/10 I have to pay extorionate postage.

I buy presents when I see them throughout the year and like spreading the cost.

I also can't stand the shops in December and if you mail order / do it online you need to do it early or presents might not arrive until January (anyone have an Amazon experience last year).

"yes, lm and mmj - in which case put a budgeted amount aside to SPEND NEARER THE TIME!"

easy to say - then you end up eating into it for birthdays, broken washing machines, cars that need fixing, school trips, clothes when your DC suddenly decide to have the mother of all growth spurts.

I'm going Christmas (and birthday - for DS2 end of November) shopping on Saturday (taking myself to Milton Keynes for the day - no children, just me and my wallet ) so that I can get ALL of that expenditure out of the way now. I need to save for deposit and 1st months rent for when I move early next year (do't know when yet) and I'd rather I know that ALL the spare cash is going towards the move, than suddenly having to find money for DS2's birthday present, or DS3's Christmas present etc.

I love experiencing the excitement of Christmas and if I am anxious about Pressies or Cards or food then I won't enjoy it.

I get stuff done early so that all I have to do in December is post the cards on the 1st and enjoy the drinking and merry making.

I must admit, as much as I love Christmas, I feel the same. Apart from the cooking. I am going to make our Christmas cake tomorrow (fruit soaking in brandy over night, tonight).

All those adverts & the kids saying 'I want that ... I want that ...' etc etc.

Do you think we could get away with a satsuma & good wishes???

Eek

By a huge amount of MNers standards, we are comfortable enough to buy it all in one week.

Why should I ??

I get great fun, from buying things and adding them to the small pile, of crackers, etc.

Yesterday, I was in a Hawkins shop, I bought something for the Santa pile. Should I beat myself up because it is only October ???

But my point, sobernow, is that BIL and SIL are going Christmas shopping at THEIR convenience and by asking me to come up with Christmas present ideas for the four of us, are not taking MY convenience into account. If it was up to me none of us would buy Christmas presents for each other, but I am told that that is just not acceptable in DH's family.

They definitely come into the not having enough going on in their lives category, rather than being hard up, desperately lonely, or packing up presents [sob] for nieces/grandchildren [sob] on the other side of the world [sob] they are not likely to see again.

They are younger than us.
They have more disposable income than us.
They work fewer hours than us.
They live about 50 miles away.

For all these reasons I find their attitude to Christmas non-compatible with my own. And it annoys and deflates me. Thats all I'm saying.

No, Bree. You go ahead and enjoy.

But have you phoned your relatives and demanded they give you their Christmas present ideas already?

I dunno, perhaps that's how everyone else does it these days. Perhaps most people have got their plans made by August? July perhaps, to take advantage of the July sales? Or maybe June, so as to avoid the incovenience of shopping during the school holidays?

Am prob just very old fashioned.

What business is it of yours whether they want/need to buy Christmas presents in October or June for that matter? Are you incapable of thinking of a single thing you would like as a gift until November 14th? You sound like a right miserable cuss TBH!

LGJ I can't wait to go shopping for the day on my own on Saturday (though hoping I can find a friend that can leave the kids with their DH for the day to come with me - if only for the company)

Wouldn't want to do it in December - the MKcentre in December just ISN'T fun.

Just to reassure I'm lucky enough to see my DN most years just not at Christmas / her birthday...and modern tech means keeping in touch with my family in Auckland isn't hard.

Years ago it was Mum and me and not a lot of money, but as a child I liked lots of things to unwrap ---don't we all! So I devised our christmas, - lots of little things all wrapped separately! So if you bought some socks - wrap them separately, pack of 3 knickers - wrap them separately, pack of books etc - wrap...you get the idea. This meant I could have one 'main present' not costing a fortune but also quite a few parcels to unwrap as well. I found it was really exciting and have carried on the idea to this day for all family and friends.

But it does mean you have to start shopping in October if you have any hope of finishing wrapping by mid December!!

And you sound particularly dim-witted TPL .