Share your Christmas shopping tips - £200 voucher to be won

[CeriMumsnet]

Christmas can be a hectic time with lots to prepare and organise, so we’d love to know your strategies for getting the gift shopping done. Whether you spread it throughout the year, you set aside a weekend and order everything in one go, or you set budgets to avoid overspending, share your tips and tricks in the thread below.

• Post your tips/hacks in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice (from a list).

Here’s what Klarna has to say:

"With our new app features, you can spend less time searching for Christmas gifts and more time enjoying the holiday season. Whether you're shopping for kids' gifts, holiday decorations, or everyday essentials, our range of tools such as price comparison, price drop alerts, and delivery tracking ensures that you get great value for the money and time you spend on your Christmas shopping. Shop smarter and make the most out of the festive season with our app."

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ
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Budget: it's part of our monthly budget so 1/12th of that gets put into savings each month specifically for Christmas. We buy presents as we see them throughout the year so any money spent is recouped from the savings account.

Gifts: most things are bought during the year whenever we see something interesting or on offer. DS usually has about 50 things on a list because he knows Santa will only choose a few, so there's no worry about any "must have" item. I guess that might change once he's a teen! Adults tend to get vouchers for restaurants, theatre tickets or memberships/magazine subscriptions so that's a stress free way to buy something.

Food: nectar and Tesco points get built up during the year then used in December so the cost of food that month is minimal.

Keep a list throughout the year (on an app on your phone) of gift ideas for people. If your children mention something, jot it down. If you see your friend liking a certain wine, jot it down. By November you have a ready made ideas list to pick through, it saves so much hassle!

Follow the Christmas threads on Mumsnet

Watch online for when the sales are and buy throughout the year - just remember where you stashed it all!

I have a notebook where I write down what I've bought the DC each year. This means I don't accidentally buy them the same thing again (plus it makes nostalgic reading now they're adult/teen!). It also means nothing gets forgotten when wrapping.

With Christmas stockings, stick to a formula so you don't end up worrying that one child has more than another or wondering what to buy.

Ours is:
something to wear
something to eat
something to read
something to use
something to play with
something silly, funny or cute
something replacing a lost or broken loved item
something to look at
chocolate!

I start around September keeping an eye out for interesting little stocking fillers, then start following the Christmas board threads for all the bargains!
In more recent years I've started earlier than that but found that what I was buying in June wasn't all that great - like it was too soon to have my Christmas head on 😂😂

I try and get most things bought during November to make the most of Black Friday etc, then just the odd few things in December. In theory I want to have everything wrapped early December but it's always last minute - I have ADHD 🤷🏻‍♀️

Budgeting wise I put money aside every month so I've always got money ready if I do find something early on. Around October/November I have to work hard not to let the spending fever take over as I want to buy all the nice things for myself too 😂 That leads to a very poor January, which I do not enjoy 😢

Make an agreement with your siblings and close friends that we only buy for Children- and as that we all stick to a budget of £10 per child. That way it is more manageable.

I go to Etsy for unique gifts, which are good value, and buy via TopCashback for an extra 8% off.

I start at the end of January buying things at the very end of the sales when there are some real bargains.
I also save up supermarket loyalty points to buy gift vouchers for spa days etc
It all really helps to save money for xmas.

Make a list and stick to it. Don't buy things randomly that people might like and end up over spending on someone by accidently buying multiple presents or having spare presents that might never get gifted.

We cannot afford a lot this year, so have asked friends and siblings to only buy for our children, and we are making home made gifts, chocolates and cakes we have baked for family. I refuse to get into debt just to save face at Christmas.

Buy stuff as you go along in the year, either in sales, from charity shops or keep an eye out for bargains on local selling sites. Try to book more experiences instead of focusing on stuff.

Our top tip would be to buy what you can in the January sales and then pick odd bits up throughout the year as you see offers, we've always done this and it helps spread the cost and the stress at buying all at once 😊

I buy things as I go along throughout the year and make the most of sales, charity shops, car boots etc. I keep lists so as not to repeat what I’ve previously bought.
Having sorted out my daughter’s room recently I realise all the “stuff” she had accumulated so will be sticking to a few keys presents ( something she needs, wants, to read, to eat ) and then thinking about treating us all as a family to an experience we will all remember eg panto, go ape, theatre etc

I have found the Mumsnet threads on gift ideas for teenagers really helpful. I started a thread myself this year and have used ideas from it and from another to get things.
I do ask my 2 teens for ideas but I always get surprises for them too.
We don't have a lot of family to buy for. I start early November usually mostly on-line, and also go out to a shopping town on Black Friday as I do enjoy the day to get out and feel festive.

I keep a list on my phone that I add to all year with potential presents for everyone.

I'm not very good at budgeting, but I try to. Thankfully we don't have a big family and the children are all adults now, so mainly get money.

Buy things over the year when you find something pretty or unique - and save in your 'notes' on your phone where it is - (forgot one year and lost some gifts till they turned up at Easter.)

Although an oldie.. it is a good 'un.. Secret Santa! I often do Secret Santa's with work colleagues & friendship groups - saves loads of money, we set a low budget & get the most unusual gift we can (cue lots of charity shop browsing!). With our besties - we ditch gifts altogether & just enjoy out together somewhere using the money we would have spent on gifts.
I do price watch items on Amazon for specific goods - books/tech, etc. to get them at their cheapest. Vinted is fab for clothing gifts! I browse the Xmas sales for little bits & bobs - games, etc.

I have lists and more lists. Keep them all year around as I will forget ideas when we get closer to Christmas.

Avoid the twitch!

Buy things throughout the year to spread the cost but also when in the sale.
Keep a tracker of what you have bought, for whom & where you can have hidden it 😂🙈

My 15 year old son has been suffering with anxiety for a long time . He had friends who frightened and abused him which affected his mental health . He refuses any therapy . Last night the family went for a meal to celebrate sister 18th birthday . All was ok until a young man was seated next to him in the other table . He became so anxious wanted to leave so we discreetly swapped places without my son realising what I was doing . This is so sad for him he is so afraid of young men . Has anyone experienced this with their son . He is so angry with us because he feels like this but won’t accept therapy . I’m heartbroken for him

I've previously started Christmas shopping too early, then hidden the gifts and later realised that I've forgotten about the gifts and overbought...now I use a gift list app to keep track of what I've bought and what I still need to buy, that works a lot better!

buy wrapping paper in January

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