Are you a:
Year round gatherer and store it back till Dec., where do you store it all throughout the year?
Shop like crazy the day after Thanksgiving for all the specials on sale (are the savings really worth the craziness?)
Last minute shopper out on Christmas Eve looking for just a couple more things?
I'm working out my budget, so this came to mind for over the next 6 months.
2006-09-04 03:04:59 · 56 answers · asked by Craptacular Wonderment 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Holidays ➔ Christmas
Oh Shoot.. I created a poll I suppose.. I'll extend deadline and then vote, thanks all!
2006-09-05 08:25:44 · update #1
I start my shopping January 1rst for the coming year. I hit all the sales. I also get all the birthday gifts,etc at that time too. Everything is on sale in Jan!
I absolutely love to wrap extravagantly too! I need a month just to do that! And I have to have that done by the end of November because in Dec. I have cookies and bars to bake and then put trays together and Christmas parties..the tree to decorate,fruit baskets to create,and people to visit!!!
Who has time to shop and wrap in DEC!!!???
Definitely get it done early. It is the only way.
2006-09-09 13:41:58 · answer #1 · answered by zoya 6 · 5⤊ 21⤋
I love to shop, not necessarily only at the stores but on line, magazines, etc. So I am a Year round gatherer and store it til Dec. I store it in the office closet. My husband thinks it's clutter but then he appreciates when he doesn't have a big credit card bill in December!
But since I am a shopper, I do pick up little things right up until Christmas Eve!
2006-09-05 16:15:29 · answer #2 · answered by Fancy You 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I usually start the first week of December. I always say i'm going to start early or throughout the year pick a few things up here and there, but when i do that I seem to give the gift to someone right after i get it. I like shopping online though, I did that last year and it was great. I didn't have to go out and fight the crowd and save gas and stress.
2006-09-09 04:33:05 · answer #3 · answered by tootsie lou 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
When my two daughters were young, I'd stock up on two different themes of holiday paper after Christmas: red/blue, angels/snowmen, etc. I would mentally assign each child a paper and never put any labels on until Christmas Eve. As I would find a good clearance or perhaps overhear a conversation starting with, "I really wish I had a ....", I'd purchase what I could and wrap each gift as I brought it home. They all went into the top of my closet and, since the girls didn't know which was "their" paper, there was never any peeking...that and the firm rule that "if you see it before Christmas, you don't get it!"
Oh, and there would always be one special gift for each "from Santa" in a different old-fashioned paper so they knew he'd been there...
Saved me a lot of hassles and money through the years, and oftentimes they'd end up opening gifts I'd completely forgotten about!
If you don't have llittle ones who are likely to peek and the gifts are for people outside your home, put labels on as soon as they're wrapped to avoid confusion.
2006-09-08 06:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by dragonwing 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I'm a year round shopper...I carry a little notebook in my purse and I write down all of the gifts that I have given the past several years so that I don't buy the same gifts, and when I buy a gift for someone, I put in there so that I don't forget what I bought. I also keep sizes updated, too. If I hear someone say, "I'd really like to have a ..." then I jot it down in the notebook so that I can remember. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's actually very simple and keeps me organized.
2006-09-04 03:11:38 · answer #5 · answered by Moxie Crimefighter 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I take a two prong approach. I watch for things year round especially when good sales come up. In the meanwhile I keep my ears open to those inevitable slips where friends and family talk about things they wish they had. That list stays on my computer so I can watch for those items at places like ebay where you can set up auto searches.
I also make a lot of my gifts as I love to cook so I can goods and prepare all kinds of herb blends throughout the year to have ready for baskets. This also comes in handy for birthdays, anniversaries etc.
2006-09-04 03:07:01 · answer #6 · answered by Loresinger99 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I dislike crowds so I start looking around October and have most of it done by Thanksgiving. There are some things I wait to buy if I know they will be a much better price before Christmas and I shop for some of the harder to buy for people online.
2006-09-04 06:43:36 · answer #7 · answered by goodpurplemonster 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Just say no! I spent a few Xmas in Australia where it was easy to opt out of the big commercial thing. No presents, just round at a friends place with everybody contributing their fave food and wine. All had stress-free fun together with no pressure or expectations. Carried that on when I came back to Scotland - I love Xmas, just not the way Tesco, Marks & Spencer etc want me to. (PS, I appreciate this is not possible if you have young kids!)
2006-09-04 03:49:11 · answer #8 · answered by katzter 1 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I also work on a budget. I make out my list of people that I'm actually giving gifts to and what I plan to buy them early in November. Once my list is made I start to slowly buy things and put them away. I don't start wrapping gifts until after Thanksgiving.
2006-09-08 02:50:14 · answer #9 · answered by peewee_31061 3 · 6⤊ 0⤋
the day after thanksgiving has great sales in an expensive store is great, but a good budget for each gift brought should be $20 each, things in the mall or stores are too expensive. or try a store like H&M,the Gap(lowered prices are good too),a music store,a cute fiqurine.
2006-09-06 08:18:02 · answer #10 · answered by christina p 4 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I personally tend to shop through out the year, and then do a flurry of last minute baking. It seems easier on the budget to spread the spending out. Also baked goodies or other homemade items can be great gifts if you have any talent in those areas and put plenty of thought into it. It took me a few years to figure out the perfect gift for my father is a small box of baked goods.
2006-09-04 03:19:19 · answer #11 · answered by Moonsilk 3 · 7⤊ 1⤋