Buying Christmas Presents All Year

[luvsJack]

I know that some of you buy gifts all year and finish your shopping quite early. I feel like shopping and money gets in the way of the fun things I want to do at Christmas so next year I want to do it differently.

I have dd(14), ds and dil, dgd(2) and dgd(4), older ds, Dh, mom, mil and fil. And then all the office gifts, friends etc.

So my questions are:

Do you have in mind what you want to get each person that far in advance? Or do you just pick up things you think they would like as you see them?

Do you have a set amount for each person each year and stop when you reach that amount?

Do you hold back some and save for a big item the kids may ask for closer to Christmas?

We are planning to fo to Disney in November so being through by then would make Christmas almost stressfree!!

I know I am probably making this harder than it should be but just looking for ideas before I go tobuying wily nily. TIA

 

[Fyrefly]

Part of the problem with buying everything early is there are lots of gifts that can't be done that way. Example if your DD was going to get an iPod and you wanted to pick it up in say, March you'd be paying full price for something that will be out of date come December anyway, when you probably could have gotten it for cheaper with the new model out. Also younger kids don't really think about what they want until November and the odds of adults buying what they want after you've put it away are high.

On the other hand you could probably stock up on gift cards for coworkers etc. early and save yourself the trouble of going to a million small places for cards. You might also hit up after-Christmas sales to get wrapping paper for next year, get nice giftable containers or trays if you like giving lots of cookies, that sort of thing.

If overspending is a worry my parents always direct deposit a certain amount of money into an account from their paychecks all year long and when they get to December, that's the Christmas money. Stick to the fund and no putting stuff on cards to worry about come January.

 

[luvsJack]

Yeah I have done the savings account before and it did help a lot. Its not just the money though but the time shopping takes.

 

[DawnM]

When the kids were little it was far easier to buy all year long.....they wanted legos and action figures and cars.

Oldest is now 15.

That doesn't happen anymore. They want video games (new ones that have just come out late Fall), or their interests change over the course of several months.

Now I just have an ING account set up and put $$ into it all year long.

Dawn

 

[ashley0139]

I'm 25, and I know my mom buys (the few) things she gets me throughout the year. My interests aren't changing every year at this point, so she knows she can pick up MAC makeup, or nail polish, or scrapbooking stuff, or dvds when she sees any of it on sale. I know it works for her.

 

[Zhoen]

So my questions are:

Do you have in mind what you want to get each person that far in advance? Yes

Or do you just pick up things you think they would like as you see them? Yes

Do you have a set amount for each person each year and stop when you reach that amount? Yes, depends on the person. Consider what you spent this year and use that as a basis for next, bearing in mind that you might pick up an INCREDIBLE deal and want to stop, or you might find something awesome after you think you're done, and go over.

Do you hold back some and save for a big item the kids may ask for closer to Christmas? I pick up the little things as they appear, expecting the "big" requests will come later... I'm always proud when my "have list" matches an item on their "wish list"

We are planning to fo to Disney in November so being through by then would make Christmas almost stressfree!! I always aim to be done by 1 December... because BF can be fun, and I've found that being done "too" soon detracts a little from the season... I'm not into all the crazy commercialism (at least I *think* I'm not... but the mall can be enjoyable if you're just there to look without any real "needs"

I know I am probably making this harder than it should be but just looking for ideas before I go tobuying wily nily. TIA

You'll need a good storage space, have you chosen one? (And PLEASE don't say you've got a storage locker... that is sort of anti-thrift..) A lot of folks just set aside a closet in a spare room. The attic will work in a pinch, but the temperature extremes can make it non-ideal. And if you're going to do the christmas-all-year thing, you'll want to keep a VERY detailed list of what you've already gotten and who it's for. Otherwise you'll overbuy...

And last, but not least, in some cases, no matter how careful you've been, you'll change your mind... in those cases you can (a)choose a different recipient (b)return it if you have the receipt and it hasn't been too long (c)sell it (d)donate it to charity/freecycle it... (e) give your recipient BOTH gifts...

So for the grandkids, they're so young you can definitely buy some things ahead. Also possibly MIL/FIL. Husband, son, probably not... if it's something they REALLY want, they are likely to buy it for themselves before next year... DIL... maybe... if her interests are fairly stable or if you see something that just leaps out at you.

 

[luvmy3]

My kids are 14, 12 and 9 and it used to be so easy to shop early. I would usually be done by Thanksgiving, this year I just finished yesterday
There are things I will buy throughout the year like Legos or little "filler" gifts, but most things have to wait. I didn't do too much early this year but still managed to get some incredible deals on what I wanted to get.
Also when I used to shop really early I'd hide something away and totally forget about it and then end up not giving them that (or something else) because they had too much already. Toys for Tots has gotten some great things from me because of that

 

[Patience]

I do tend to buy all year round but, as someone else said, usually just for the younger children we buy for including our 5 year old daughter. I look for sales. I also purchase stocking stuffers for my 5 year old when Target puts all their stocking stuffers on sale for 70% off. I generally do not try to buy for my 18 year old far in advance. I usually start for her in the fall and buy things she mentions she wants for Christmas because she knows I don't like to wait until the last minute. I don't buy too early for my husband either but I did run across a North Face jacket at a great sale price at the end of summer and put it away until Christmas.


Edited to add that I store gifts in a storage closet at my place of work. Sometimes I use the toys in there for birthday gifts instead of Christmas if my daughter is invited to a party and I don't have time to pick something up.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I can't shop all year. I just save up money in my Christmas account all year and come December, then I shop.

My kids are teens and don't know what they want until closer to christmas. Same with husband.
And since I make calendars for other relatives, I just try and make sure to take pictures of the teens through the year that I can use on the calendars.

I figure saving up the money for Christmas is my version of shopping early. Next year I'm going to see if I can do mostly internet shopping to save time.

 

[runwad]

I too just pick up little filler gifts all year long and save in a special Christmas account for gifts. I did about 75% of my shopping on line this year so it would super easy to buy stuff online and wait for the packages to show up. As others have said it was easier when the kids were little to shop all year and be done early, but with teens I don't find that possible.

 

[MrsPete]

I don't have hard-and-fast rules; rather, since deals come and go, I do what makes most sense at the time.

Examples:

I always shop immediately after Christmas for wrapping paper, lights and ornaments. Stores don't stock as heavily as they did in past years, and the good stuff disappears more quickly than in the past.

I almost always shop heavily in January and February for things that will be deeply discounted and will not go out of style. Examples: Yankee candles, towel sets, books, movies, toys, board games, jewelry, scarves, gloves. Before I buy a certain thing, I have a person in mind -- though occasionally the item ends up going to someone else instead. And sometimes I find myself behind at birthday time and I raid my Christmas stock.

I have no problem picking up clothes for when they are "clearanced" for spring things. However, I tend to choose fairly basic things. Even with teens, you can get basics throughout the year. For example, way back in the spring I bought a college hoodie sweatshirt for less than $10. I had my oldest daughter's boyfriend in mind, but -- given that they're only 18 -- I also was mindful that they might not still be dating in December (as things turned out, they are). I didn't see this as a big risk, however, because any number of other family members would've appreciated this college hoodie -- likewise, any number of family members could've used the size large that I bought. For another example, my husband wears only LL Bean dress shirts to work; I buy him two new ones every Christmas (and when he gets them, he discards his two most worn shirts -- we don't keep huge wardrobes), BUT I have literally never bought one at full price, and I've literally never bought one during the Christmas season.

Sometimes I have in mind a specific item that I want to get for a certain person; for example, this year I knew I wanted to get broomstick horses for my little niece and nephew. If it's not on sale, I postpone buying it -- there's no benefit in buying ahead of time at full price. The person might receive the item for a birthday, a better model might come out -- again, there's just no reason to buy ahead of time if you can't get a good price.

Other times I just look at what's marked down and ask myself, "Would this be good for someone on my list?" I tend to get most of my stocking stuffers from this category. For example, I might notice that tights, markers, or earrings are marked down super-cheap, and -- although I probably wouldn't be thinking about stocking stuffers -- seeing the good price might make me decide to buy the items for my girls.

For my own daughters, I do some last-minute shopping -- once I know what "the latest thing" is this year. For example, when I did the bulk of my Christmas shopping earlier in the year, leggings weren't yet "a thing", so I wouldn't have picked them up. And before she went away to college, I wouldn't have known that my oldest would develop a love for Hungry Howie's pizza (which we don't have here at home), so I wouldn't have thought about a gift card for her stocking. I wouldn't know ahead of time what big video game was going to come out. Things that I buy at the last minute are always more expensive than the things I buy ahead of time.

The way it usually works out for me: I just sort of buy stuff during the first half of the year, and I stuff it into boxes in the top of my closet. About mid-way through the summer, I pull the boxes down and take stock. Then I get serious for a week or two about filling in the gaps -- at this point, it becomes about "getting it done before the stressful season arrives", so I end up paying more.

Also, during the summer when I'm not working, I try to make homemade Christmas presents. For example, dry soup mix, canned jellies or salsa, or homemade laundry detergent we'd make in the summer -- not during the Christmas season.

By Thanksgiving every year, I tend to have about 90% of my shopping done. I'll pick up a few things for my immediate family, and as I search through my boxes I'll find that I still have nothing for 1-2 family members. This means that shopping isn't overwhelming financially, nor is it stressful. Also, no matter what I do, there are a few things that I just can't get 'til the last minute; for example, my husband LOVES gift certificates for the "sports barber shop" -- it's sports themed, and each patron has a TV right in front of him, but he won't pay $18 for a haircut. I get him 1-2 gift certificates for his stocking every year, and he enjoys them -- but since they expire in three months, it's not something I could buy super-early.

Buying ahead is definitely better than saving money all year and buying in December because 1) most everything you buy is on sale; thus, you spend less money overall. 2) You don't have to do the shopping during the busy months.

One warning: Never buy clearanced-priced accessories for an item you haven't yet bought. I had planned to buy Kindles for my daughters and older nieces this year, and when I saw covers for a very good price, I snapped up four. Suddenly, while I wasn't paying attention, the Kindle Touch was discontinued. Now I own four covers for a product I can't buy. At best, I might be able to break even by selling them on ebay. Not one of my better choices; however, my "wins" in buying ahead greatly outnumber my losses.

And one hint: We're in the planning stage of building a house, the one in which we'll live 'til they carry us out of it. I'm planning a small hall closet that'll lock with a key instead of having a doorknob. That's going to be my gift closet. Right now I hide things in a couple places, mainly my own closet, and it's uncomfortably full sometimes.

Having your shopping out of the way means that in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you have time to enjoy parties, to bake goodies, to drive elderly relatives to their Christmas outings, to make fun memories with your children. I highly recommend separating the bulk of the Christmas shopping from the Christmas season. That it makes your finances better at the end of the year is just a bonus.

 

[Tiger926]

We used to do this as we have the storage space for it, but we no longer do it for many reasons. The biggest one being that people, especially kids, are picky.

The other reason is sizing issues too. You buy too far in advance, or for growing kids, you may have issues.

Last reason, something is defective and so warranty or exchange could be an issue.

When we did it though, we had a set budget for each person, just like we do now. We also had a spreadsheet, so we knew what we had purchased.

Good luck - this can save money, but the money that can be lost in any issues that may arise in buying early, may cost more than the savings itself, and in that case, it's not a great idea.

Tiger

 

[motor58]

My kids are 8, almost 6 and 4 and after these years I have figured out a strategy that works (for now): I buy throughout the year little things but save the big present or enough money to do what comes up before xmas. Things do change quite a bit through the year but generally you can get stuff that will be good- but save a bit of time and money for nov/dec to buy the current thing that they want.

 

[mjantz]

I buy throughout the year for extended family but normally hold out until early November for my kids. We take a vacation every year & I buy lots of gifts for family then. T-shirts are a big hit as are local crafts.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Hi:
Count me in as one who use to shop all year when the kids were little. For the reasons already stated I now wait until November and December. I can honestly say that online shopping has taken the stress out of Christmas for me. I watch sites like wantnot and retailme for deals and almost NEVER pay for shipping.

I do pick up presents for adults if I see them throughout the year!

 

[swilshire]

As others have mentioned, it is hard to get the big gifts early for the kids now that they are older, but I pick up stocking stuffers and small items throughout the year. I also get the friends and family type gifts as I find good sales throughout the year at CVS, Walgreens, etc.

A lot of our family gifts come from estate and garage sales. DH collects wooden duck decoys and stained glass trinkets to hang around the porch. DSIL is a chef and likes unique cook books. DBIL collects a certain scale of metal car replicas. Youngest DS still likes Matchbox cars. DD is starting a windchime collection.

We find great things at little cost and none of our immediate family minds getting "used" items. We could never find the cool things we get in retail stores. Some of them are very unique.

The only bad part this year was carrying and wrapping the boxes of cookbooks for DSIL. Those things weigh a TON!

I also buy gift bags, wrap and bows at estate sales. I give extras to all the kids every year, but I think I still have a lifetime supply.

Sheila

 

[tinker&belle]

I had bought early in years past but now that my children are a bit older I found great deals shopping in October and had a good sense of what they liked.

 

[luvsJack]

Thanks for all the input!! I figured I would have to wait on ds's big gift. She always gets a lot of clothes that I think I can buy at lest some of ahead. Same thing with my sons. The granddaughters would be easy, just would need to keep dil informed so no double buying. Mil and fil are always hard anyway but they like very practical gifts.

If I could at lest do the smaller gift, stocking stuffers and such early it would be a load off. Dh and I have already decided on amount that we will start putting back each week.

I always thought it was silly to think of Christmas year round but it has gotten so stressful that I have completely changed my mind.

 

[Jedana]

I buy:

Legos (never go wrong with those!)

Books (if I can catch the 3 for 4 on Amazon)

Movies on DVD


Things like jeans, shorts, and basic t-shirts when on clearance. I just buy a size up (sometimes more...I have 5 pair of boys size 10 jeans that I got for $4 total on clearance. DS can't wear them now, he's barely an 8. But for $4.....) Nothing with characters on them, or anything "trendy".


And I can always donate extra or not needed items, so it's a win-win.

 

[nunzia]

Like I said in another post I buy all year. Stuff I have been buying on Amazon this month found much of it going into the closet (shelves all across) that I use for gifts and being earmarked for birthdays or even next Christmas. It is much easier for the younger kids, but I can still get activity things (found some cool bop each other type gifts for two grandsons that are brothers and like to roughhouse), video games (I find games on sale and even though it isn't the newest and coolest I find they play the ones I get them a lot) they all like board games, stuff to make, etc so I can get those year round. Also since they range in age from 14 to 1 SOMEONE will want it SOMEDAY..same with clothes..oops..bought Devon too many clothes, well Alexis will be ready for them soon. I do wait to buy them something special closer to Christmas, but overall I get a lot done early..it's keeping it all sorted in an orderly fashion that makes it tough.