Christmas shopping challange

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petitfleur

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My goal this year is to have my familys presents bought and wrapped by the end of Thanksgiving weekend! I am hopeing this will reduce stress and let me enjoy my Holiday better so I can focus on what is important.
Anyone with me on this?
 
I did this last year and it was great! 🙂 The only thing I’m gonna change this year is to save some of the gifts for the day after thanksgiving sales. I didn’t do this last year and spent more than I needed to on some things. But all in all it was really nice to have everything all wrapped under the tree when everyone else was running around driving themselves crazy! 😛 🤷

Count me in! 👍

(I already have my Christmas cards (purchased at 50% off last year)! 👍)
 
If I get everything made I should beable to get all of our Christmas done b/f Thanksgiving. My biggest problem will be what I get for my kids. They just don’t need anything. :rolleyes:
 
I have always thought that would be wonderful…but…I actually have done the opposite over the past two or three years. I completely surrender to the peacefulness of Advent…I spend time praying more and fasting…and have truly saved my Christmas present buying until literally 3 days before the big day. It sounds like it would be crazy, but it has helped me stay at peace…and I spend the time decorating, baking, etc…

Although, your idea sounds heavenly…lol:)
 
Oh, awesome idea! I’d love to enjoy Advent and Christmas without spending December out of my mind in a frenzy of shopping.

I’m gonna try it with you!!!👍 👍

*Stella
 
I used to try shopping early, even throughout the year, and saving presents, trouble was, I could never remember where I put them when it came time to wrap and mail, they would turn up the following July. Solution: family, scattered around the country, now gets together to celebrate Christmas in July.

I think gift giving should be joyful, not stressful, so I do it in a way that makes me happy. My husband has the same philosophy–he gives something HE would like to have.
 
My parents and I have a “one gift rule.” It took years to institute, but it finally works…each family member gets one gift from the other. JUST ONE! It makes Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so enjoyable, so relaxed…and gives us the time to really think hard about what our celebrations are all about.

Now my husband’s family…which is much bigger than mine, spends the whole of Christmas Day unwrapping gift after gift…bless them and I do love them dearly, but that leaves very little time for laughter, togetherness, silent contemplation of the season.

So when I speak of the Christmas shopping I’ll need to do, it’s mostly for his family. Stressful!🤷
 
I try to have it done by the first Sunday in Advent.

It does allow you a lot of time to really get into Advent and prepare for Christmas, much more relaxed. I love finding the perfect present though, so sometimes I’d rather take the time to go out and shop rather than get it done early. Crazy I know.

Pray that I’m not working retail this year, come Christmas!
 
I think it was last Christmas where, for the first time, I genuinely had no interest whatsoever at what was ‘under the tree’ (or in our case, next to the crib), but rather who was around it (i.e. my family).

So, I don’t know if I’ll be getting any gifts for my family, since they are all forgotten (or eaten) before you can say Boxing Day anyway.

Sometimes I think children might understand Christmas a whole lot better if no gifts were given (or, just very very small, symbolic ones). 🤷
 
I try to do this yearly and end up with a few to buy before Christmas (we have 6 family birthdays in December too!)

But this year the kids and I talked DH into having a small Christmas (1 small present each plus the donation gifts we always give) and then we are going to Disneyland in January with the $ we saved on gifts. It’ll all balance out on the budget and we’ll have a lot less junk around to break.
 
petitfleur said:
My goal this year is to have my familys presents bought and wrapped by the end of Thanksgiving weekend! I am hopeing this will reduce stress and let me enjoy my Holiday better so I can focus on what is important.
Anyone with me on this?
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I pretty much do this every year. I have to mail a lot of the gifts to family living in other states. I actually buy gifts all year long. As I come across things in catalogs, sales, etc. I already have quite a few gifts stashed and ready to go. I’ll make my final decisions on the rest and get the wrapping done over the next six to eight weeks.

I also get my Christmas cards out around the first of December.
 
This would be wonderful! I will have my husband’s family’s gifts ready to go by December 1st, because they have to be mailed out. But I can’t wrap any of my family’s gifts because we are taking them with us to California, and I don’t think they allow you to have wrapped gifts. Plus there are some things I will need to buy once we arrive (mostly food products, as I am making my brother a couple frozen home made dinners as his gift).

I will still put aside the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping to enjoy the season.
 
actually we buy almost no gifts in stores anymore, but buy on-line and have shipped. Otherwise shipping costs outweigh price of gifts esp for kids. on daughters’ advice their families get a membership to science center or other local attraction, that can be used in similar venues in other cities.

don’t recommend bringing gifts on an airline flight since you will be charged for extra baggage, in that case it will be cheaper to mail them on ahead of you.
 
puzzleannie said:
don’t recommend bringing gifts on an airline flight since you will be charged for extra baggage, in that case it will be cheaper to mail them on ahead of you.
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I think we are doing magazine subscriptions for my parents and I’m making food for both of my brothers, so it’s not something that will take up much space at all. But we still want to wrap them. 🙂

When I ship presents, I always wrap the presents first and then send them in a big box. It may cost more to ship, but it is nice for them to get to open a present on Christmas, instead of just a plain brown box! 🙂
 
I’m already finished my shopping. Actually, I haven’t started. Well, they’re the same thing. 😃

There really isn’t much I need to buy for Christmas. My friends and family mostly live in other countries - my few remaining close friends in Korea are leaving before Christmas. I never bother to send gifts in the mail because my family is perfectly capable of buying whatever they need. We were never into the whole shopping thing anyway. I might find something for my boyfriend, but I just don’t know what to buy him… we rarely exchange gifts.

🤷 Christmas is a time to be peaceful and loving. It’s not about the gifts.
 
Just_wondering said:
🤷 Christmas is a time to be peaceful and loving. It’s not about the gifts.
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I agree, but I’m having a very hard time getting my family and my husband’s family to see it that way! I would much rather just spend time with them, but I feel they are always expecting something. When I stopped sending birthday gifts they got very upset with me. I guess for some people Christmas is all about the gifts. :nope:
 
One gift my kids look forward to is “coupons” thier faveorite is “a bubble bath by yourself.” My DH and I dont really do gifts sice we really dont need anything. So I mainly buy for my kids and teachers. I need a cool Idea of something I can make for neighbors and friends. I would like to get it out of the way to get into the spirit of Christmas.
 
Sadly, I don’t think we are buying gifts this year. 😦

We’re doing fine with our money. But, there is just nothing left over! Our grocery and gas increases have really tipped us over the line.

Grandma and Grandpa will get the kids each a present.

And, I hope to have a small gift ($20 range) for each of the six, but unless some unexpected money comes in…

But, maybe that’s for the best. 🙂

I’m resigned not to be anxious about money for presents, but really rejoice this Christmas.
 
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