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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I’m really really sorry Klarna but never in a million years would I use your website to do Christmas shopping.

When I’m struggling to pay my gas & electric bill, I wouldn’t even look at you.

Primark & SHEIN are so reasonable for present bits and pieces, within budget, variety and choice. I buy through the year each time I go into Primark I Budget of £10 each visit.

So buy within my means, stick to a plan, a small budget and space it out all year.

I suspect that I speak for the majority of everyday people with this way of managing Christmas.

We have only bought for children this year but for about the last five have done a Secret Santa with a £40 spend.

Cut down on presents and have experiences instead. Much more fun and less stressful.

My tips would be to use your instincts when buying for family, give what they would use, grandparents would want your time rather than a gift - give them that - a few IOU's for days out - It will mean much more - and don't gift just to keep up with your friends - if it leaves you without

My tips would be to make little bespoke hampers from M&S - food for grandparents - make a lovely cream tea hamper - and costs so much less than paying a hamper company - taylor it to their tastes

Mumsnet is great at recommending things such as christmas gifts so throughout the year, I add items I see that I like to a wishlist then buy them when I can throughout the year to spread the cost and save last minute panic!

My tips would be to just shop on line - I spend much less because on the high street, I buy 'things' bit and bobs and stocking fillers -stick to Amazon

Make a list and stick to it. Research first, look for the best price. Wrap as you buy, its easier to have small manageable piles.

Research what you intend to buy online. Be careful if ordering/buying online.

Make hand made gifts - fudge and toffee is so easy to make, and if you buy a pretty box/es from Etsy you have some lovely gifts.

Think about the planet! Do we need all this stuff? So many options eco friendly, but reduce and reuse where you can. No need to skimp on the joy and cheer!

I have a Chase round up account and am hoping to save enough throughout the year to put a big dent in next years Xmas spending. Because it just rounds up pennies to the nearest £ you don't really notice it

Organisation. I start buying early. I make lists and listen when people mention a book/perfume/bag they'd like. I buy wrapping paper in the sales. I try very hard to not buy crap. Less if more. I'd rather have 1 nice item than 10 cheaper ones!

Decide how many presents you are giving for each person - close family for me is usually 3 (one main present and two smaller ones) then make a list with suggestions, crossing them off when you have bought them.

The most difficult part of Christmas shopping for me is having an idea of gifts the people in my life would really like to receive. I keep a pressie list in my phone that I add to for birthdays, Christmas, mothers/ Father’s Day etc as & when things come up ie if they admire something when we are out together or mention something they are thinking of buying. then I have a list to refer to when it comes to buying that really takes the pressure off & ensures I get things people really like, want & need

Buy presents throughout the year, use nectar/clubcard points for food, save money throughout the year- even if it's just small amounts!

Your children WANT everything - filter out what they want to what they would LOVE and play with for a long time (I sent £££s buying a r/c plane which DS wanted and he used it ONCE) really buy wisely - for adults listen to them and observe what they are wearing or using - is it worn - can you replace with something lovely.

Make fudge / peppermint creams / cupcakes / coconut ice for relatives and buy pretty package boxes from amazon or etsy for a lovely gift

Leaving it to the last minute - I have had so many emails today with massive discounts - Halfords - just bought the bike I thought I could not afford due to the discount I found via a subscriber email

I start making lists in the summer, and spend a few months refining it whenever I get an idea, taking into account what the DC are going to ask for.

I have a separate bank account I add a set amount into every month for all kids clothes and presents, so by the end of the year I have the money saved.

I split the lists into three, and spread the purchases across Sep, Oct and Nov.

This year I have bought things off Vinted and Ebay, where I have found things on my list New. Even if it has not been much cheaper with postage, I've tried to buy from there so the money is going directly into someone's pocket, and reducing waste.

In December, I take a day off work to wrap the presents, then try to avoid the urge to keep buying more! Normally I do end up getting a bit extra.

I have a bucket which my family put any spare change into and then we change it up at xmas time at a supermarket and we use this for our Xmas shop. I also add 1 thing a week to my online food shop (non perishable) to help spread the cost and load.

Buy bits throughout the year and keep track of what you buy so you don't forget and find a load of presents in the cupboard next year 😁.

I save my points on my boots card and Top cash back site, I think that every penny you earn and save makes Buying Christmas presents a lot less expensive, I also save on Asda's Christmas card to go towards my Christmas food.
I have already bought my wrapping paper and bits half price ready for next Christmas.

Do NOT panic buy at the last minute as that always leads to buying things that are not needed or appreciated. I've noticed that sometimes the best christmas bargains in supermarkets are a couple of months before christmas so I'll pick up a few things early as back up in case I don't find anything more suitable nearer the time.

Don't go near the supermarkets from about 23rd dec! Our garden centre has a little Waitrose; we normally shop at aldi but for the odd milk or butter over Xmas, that was where we went!