Who started their Christmas shopping?

[alphaxikt]

I bought my dad a book (on sale) and my mom a little candle thing that went on sale at PB... That's the extent of the Christmas shopping so far... However, this is the first year that I will be flying home for Christmas, so if anyone has any ideas about how to get gifts home affordably (since I always try not to check luggage) they would be appreciated!

[aabby757]

I'm one of those people who starts shopping for the Christmas after the one that's coming up. So I'm done. Last gift came about two weeks ago. The week of Thanksgiving I wrap everything and do my holiday cards.

Throughout the year I keep a list and have a system of ideas of gifts, the gifts I have ordered versus the gifts that have arrived, then wrapped. I even keep track of stocking stuffers and other stuff.

While I am organized I do it mostly for financial reasons. I simply can't afford to shop for everything in one or two paychecks and still pay my job. I may see something on sale in July and will buy six of them and give them out for Christmas, birthdays etc for the next few years.

I keep a gift closet in my home and as organized as I am, I always forget a gift or two so I'm always farther along in the gift giving than I think.

I works for me. And I buy my bodyweight of wrapping paper in March (about $.35 a roll by then!) so I have more wrapping paper than I can store but eventually I use it so it's fine.

I love Christmas!!

[dzrose93]

I've bought a few gifts already. I try to spread out my Christmas shopping so that it isn't too tough on the pocketbook all at once.

[ADPiShannan]

HA HA. My hubby laughs at me. I start the day after Christmas in getting the 75%-90% off stuff like wrapping paper, cards, such. I started in the summer getting ideas then getting things I knew people want. Right when Christmas stuff came out, Ive been buying things I need. I have a lot of presents done already. I wanted to get my brother a Fossil watch and went this early fall to the outlets and got him a very nice one 30% off. Buying from summer on to Christmas is great for me. I dont want to drop that much cash all at once and it is great to do it a little each pay so I dont feel it all at once.

Plus for me, I get very sick with major Christmas crowds. I cant take that many people in one small place, pushing, yelling, it gives me a bad migraine and I dont do it. I used to love the after Thanksgiving day, now I avoid it and send people I know going to grab me offers and such.

Im mostly done as well though.

[RioLambdaAlum]

I got my nieces done this past weekend.....wasn't even planned but it happend....well good thing I get paid Friday cause I used money thats suppose to pay a little of the car payment. Oh well at least their bought.

[carnation]

With as many kids as we have, plus our oldest's wedding coming up in early December, we've been shopping since spring. There's no way I could do Christmas unless I keep on the lookout all year for special things for each child.

[WCUgirl]

Well, with just one online order, I'm about halfway done. Gotta' love coupons!

I have some gifts picked out, but not ordered yet.

The ones remaining are my hardest ones to buy for, such as my F-I-L and my dad.

2 more ppl to go and than i start my holiday baking. I even have my christmas cards done

[UofISigKap]

I'm trying a new way to shop and prepare for the gift-giving this year. One of my younger brothers is addicted to eBay, so I e-mailed pics of things to gage what he would want there. So online shopping for him. I also fly home for the holidays and have space restrictions and can't have anything wrapped. Since I stay with my parents for the holidays, I started having my packages shipped to my parents house and giftwrapped already (for the places that offer it). Some places even offer free shipping for spending "x" amount of dollars, that's not too tough to get during the holidays. Since my name is on the mailing label, my family knows they are gifts. When I get there, I'll have the boxes waiting for me to open and wrap any remaining gifts. Granted if there is an issue/missing/broken, I'm pretty much $OL, but hopefully this will work better.

[AOIIsilver]

Our main Chritmas tree is up with two packages wrapped and under the tree! I hope to have the other three trees up today. They are already put together..they need to be placed and the ornaments added!
I went to my first Christmas open house of the season yesterday, and I went Angel Tree shopping ALL DAY!
I am so excited for the holidays this year!
Happiness.
Silver
<does a Christmas dance>

PS-ETA Hannah, dance your little heart out....

[honeychile]

ariesrising, I'll trade buying a gift for your dad for buying a gift for my mother! She is totally impossible!!

She sees something she likes, she buys it. I don't think there's a woman on the planet with more gift certificates in her wallet!

[GeekyPenguin]

I am trying to figure out how I am going to do Christmas shopping this year - I am flying home for break, but only two days before Christmas. I think I am going to start now, bring some home at Thanksgiving, and then send the rest with my boyfriend when he comes to visit during exams.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by AOIIsilver

I went to my first Christmas open house of the season yesterday, and I went Angel Tree shopping ALL DAY!
I am so excited for the holidays this year!
Happiness.
Silver
<does a Christmas dance>

PS-ETA Hannah, dance your little heart out....

We did the Angel Tree shopping about two months ago (when coats first came out), and I did a lot of the Samaritan's Purse Shoebox shopping yesterday. My mother has friends who go to her church and all live in an apartment building that should be a senior citizens' highrise. I do their shoeboxes, too! Does that make me a little more organized?